Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol
by CooLibrarian
Summary: The classic Christmas Carol from the veiw of Jacob Marley
1. Chapter 1

It is strange how death is the most unwanted thing in life, but it happens to everyone anyway. I don't know why the living take every precaution they can to prevent what they know will happened anyway. It's feared by even those who lived like me, with the next dollar on their mind, without a care of what is going to happened next. To start my story I must tell you, I did not live a good life, I went from being the son of a wood cutter to one of the wealthiest men in London, I amounted to nothing. I reflect on my life, with one word: why? Why was I so focus on making more when I had everything? Why was I living in a great house, when family men had small shacks? Why did I not say the secret that killed me? Majority of my life was filled with regrets and secrets that I had over the strangest reasons. I only left one thing that continued, but that thing never knew. My life was a nothing, when it could have been filled with great joy. I was lucky, most people who lived my life don't get a second chance. But I did. Because of the one person I helped, I was able to be saved by saving him.

It is very rarely one finds second chance. However, if you helped one person out, even if the deed was small, you can be reconsidered. I never gave to charity, nor did I care for the poor. I did not show an ounce of mercy to anyone. Except a few people-they are the ones who gave me my seconded chance. It was because those people who I cared for when I was alive that reached for me. It was because of another who cared about me and because of him, I was placed on the same path I was to find life once more.

**It started** the day I died, it was in London on Christmas Eve, 1836. I was sitting at the office writing accounts and adding interest to those who owed us money with my good friend and business partner, Ebenezer Scrooge was doing the same. "Fred's coming home from school today," Ebenezer mumbled.

"To spend Christmas?" I asked, wondering if I would have a chance to see him.

"Yes," Ebenezer answered. "I don't know what the boy expects, but he wants to have lunch Christmas day, then he's going to spend New Year's with some friends."

"How's he doing?" I asked, I haven't seen him in years. He spent most of his life at boarding schools and only ever comes home once and a while to see his uncle. I couldn't help but be envious at the way Fred thought of Ebenezer as some sort of god. Anytime Ebenezer give Fred advice, Fred would follow them religiously. He wrote to his uncle about all his accomplishments. I was always a shadow, which made me increasingly bitter. I just wanted to shout it to Fred, somehow reveal it. Fred was too happy about his life, it would be selfish for me to turn it upside down. That was my sad accused.

"Bob, you seemed to be doing well here," I changed the subject to check on our employee's work.

"Thank you sir," Bob said proudly. I hired him a month back, without Ebenezer's consent, which made him a little upset with me. Bob had a wife with three children, with one on the way. I envied him for that, he had a family and I did not. It was stupid really; Bob was not as nearly as rich as we were, I was still jealous of him. Ebenezer couldn't seem to care less about Bob.

"Are you alright, you look a little pale," Ebenezer asked me.

"Yes," I answered, with my mind shaking. I got a terrible head ache and felt burning in my chest throughout the day.

"I'm going to get some lunch any of you want come?" I asked the two of them.

"I'm going to pick up Fred," Ebenezer answered.

"Bob?" I asked.

"Yes," He answered nervously.

"Do you want to come to lunch with me?" I asked.

"No, thank you" He answered. "My wife packed something."

"Alright, be back in an hour," I said with a shrug and left.

"Merry Christmas," Bob said as I left.

"I hate this time of year," I said to myself as I left the office. I knew why was so unhappy. I was one of the richest men in London. Yet, I felt miserable for the life I had led. The only time I ever seemed happy was when I put a family out of business. They already had something I wanted.

"Here, again, Mr. Marley" the bartender smiled at me. I went to one of the various pubs in London, one no one I associated with knew about. The bar tender knew me well, it was a place where no one would know me.

"Yes, the usual," I said sadly.

"Always lonelier at Christmas," he said as he poured me a drink. "How's business."

"The best," I answered. "Still hate myself."

"What's going on?" He asked showing his toothless smile.

"Ebenezer's nephew is going to be coming in town," I answered and took a drink. I gulped it, sweating, Fred was now eighteen, an adult. Well, he was legally, he was going to be graduating soon, he had so much ahead of him. I had my past, which was burning in me like a hammer. I felt my head shake as I walked out of the bar. I wasn't drunk, but felt dizzy.

"I bet he has some of his father in him." He smiled. I went back to the office, Fred was coming today, he was planning to take a trip to France in the spring. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't, my secret was exploding inside of me.

I saw Fred was coming through the streets in his school uniform. I went out, and saw Fan's face glowing in him.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Marley, is my uncle here?" Fred asked me, it caused my heart to leap as his face dropped. "What's bothering you?"

I stood their debating on whether or not to tell my secret. I open my mouth letting out a gag as I tried to speak, knowing my secret was going to destroy me.

"Marley, are you alright," Ebenezer said coming up to me, I was shaking, I needed to tell him, I couldn't bring the words to say it. I felt my head become light as air seeing Fred's face, I knew then I was dying, a light shown behind him and I saw the face of his mother in the light.

"Jacob," Ebenezer said shaking me. "Fred, get a doctor." I grabbed Fred by the sleeve as Bob came out. "Bob, get someone." He nodded and ran. I then felt myself become heavy, as these things became rapped around me pulling me. I died staring at Fred, that was enough.

"Jacob, no!" Ebenezer shouted shaking me.

I wasted my life away, I couldn't let my passing happen without someone knowing the truth. I thought of the money I had made, I wouldn't be able to spend it now. Why was I so concern in making so much? Why did I let my life go?

"Ebenezer Scrooge" I cried. "Ebenezer Scrooge"

"What is it?" he asked quickly as his hands remained on my chest. I tried to tell him, not to make the same mistake. He was the only one who cared about money more than I did, I tried to tell him, but I was too late. I died right there.

I remember the death of Fan, his sister. She went peacefully, as she deserved. She had Fred to her breast with Ebenezer promising to take care of him. I felt no peace, instead I felt my soul becoming heaver and heaver as chains became bounded to me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I saw darkness, nothing but pure darkness, as links and links of iron wrapped around me. Any time I tried to escape them, they just became tighter, and heavier. Every time I moved, the chains would pull me down gaining more weight causing me to unable to stand. I kept trying to get out of them, fighting with all I had, becoming more and more weary.

"Jacob," I heard a voice. It was a soft song, which appeared, making me forget my struggle and turn my head upward. Searching for her, knowing by her very sight, I would forget this torture. The dark place I was in suddenly had light as I looked up and saw her.

"Fan," I yelled, standing up suddenly, without these chains weighing me down. She was an angel with red flowing curls, rosy white cheeks and light blue eyes that haunted me for years after my death. She reached her arm out to me, I proceed just to get a touch of the warm skin I once embraced. The links of the chain multiplied, wrapping around my finger as Fan put her arm down.

"Come with me." Fan spoke, "I'll lead you out of here."

"I am not allowed to leave." I explained scared.

"For now, you are" Fan answered. "I will explain as we leave."

"No," I informed her as she tried to help me carry my chains. "It is my own burden."

"If we do this right you won't have to carry them." She said. "Look into my eyes."

I stared deep into them, I then looked around, and noticed I was in a different room.

"Order, order." The judge yelled as people started screaming in my ear, I was so numb from the torture I just endured I became oblivious to them.

"He never helped a dam soul in his life, send him were he belongs. This is a place of justice let him have his justice." I turned to see Alice Crisswald, a woman I evicted long ago, forcing her and her two children out to the streets. Her husband ran out on her, and she had no way of making a living. Since no one hires servants with children, Alice couldn't find a job, or a place to keep her children. After I kicked them out of their home, Alice was force to take her children to the orphanage being unable to find a proper home. She froze to death that winter. Alice's daughter is now a maid, her son has a family and works at a mill. They were separated. I didn't know what happened to her after her eviction until recently when I saw Alice's face.

"He helped people," Fan argued with her.

"We need proof," a tall man with a shiny face came to stand next to her, I recognize him as William Toils, the old tinker that could no longer pay the money he owed me. So I put him out of business. He later died of a stroke that summer, so I passed his dept onto his son, Clarence. The younger gentlemen next to William was his grandson, Thomas, who was away at war the summer I started pressuring Clarence to pay the money William owed me. I told Clarence people die every day, and someone needs to pay. I didn't know later Clarence got word that day about Thomas' death. Clarence is now in prison.

"My brother," Fan answered, then turned towards the judge. "Ebenezer Scrooge, he helped him."

"Someone get me a file on this Ebenezer Scrooge," The judge yelled and stack of papers appeared out of nowhere. He then banged his gavel causing everyone to become quiet.

_"_Ebenezer Scrooge," The judge smiled as he went through the papers. "Looks like your friend will be joining you, Mr. Marley."

"No," I yelled. "He can't, it is my fault that he is this way, I will bare his burden."

"What I wanted to hear," the judge sighed. "You showed some sign of selflessness, towards your friend. "Good," the judge stood up. "You must undo the damage you have done for this man you cared so much for, on the night that is remembered as the birth of our lord. You have from sundown to sunrise to make this man worthy of entering paradise. "

"I can change him." I said gratefully.

"You already did," Another man yelled. I turned to see Mr. Fizziwig staring at me with anger. He looked younger than the last time I saw him. He had reddish brown hair greased back, showing his tan face over his dark chocolate brown eyes.

"Excuse me, but I had Mr. Scrooge as an apprentice for a short time," Mr. Fizziwig explained to the judge. "He was a kind soul that I was going to give to my daughter. Then this young man changed him for the worse by leading him in selfish ways."

"I taught him how to not get con," I admitted.

"Judge, sir if you have had any dignity you would send him back to where he belongs," Mr. Fizziwig went on. "Because of him, my daughter broke the engagement he had with Mr. Scrooge and now I have the biggest deadbeat in all of England for a son-in-law."

"I am so sorry," I tried to explain to Mr. Fizziwig

"It's too late for apologies here," Mr. Fizziwig pointed out as the crowed agreed with him.

"He still showed signs of good quality," Fan smiled to the judge. "Judge, sir, I have to say that you are all about forgiveness, so he deserves at least a chance. You give others chances before, why not him."

"Fan, you are always good at heart," The judge smiled. "Mr. Marley," The called me as I stood briefly to hear what he had to say.

"You will be still be given the chance," The judge went on. "You will be given a deadline however. I am giving you till the dawn that celebrates the birth of our lord. If he has shown no signs of change, you will go back. You are only allowed to appear to Scrooge twice, and you are allowed to talk to him once."

"Now you are making it impossible," Fan pointed out.

"You are however allowed to pull resources from the spirit world to complete the task I have given you. You have to find them, and organize them. You free to wander the Earth to find what you need to complete your task, no one can do this alone." The judge then banged his gavel. "Case dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I woke up in the field in a field of green grass with soft mud below me and hard rocks under my back. I slowly nudged myself up feeling thousands of pounds of chains as I stood up, trying to balance myself. The chains were still bounded to me, I couldn't move but they were forcing me down, I had to learn how to walk with them. I was able to get up thanks to the balance of a tree in the field and started to face the earth.

I was back on Earth, but I felt no emotion, I didn't feel free, I felt no joy, or liberty in being back on earth. I walked through, feeling weak as I went through the field. I saw spirits everywhere, as I passed the trees and the tiny grass, I saw the spring sprits fly from the heavens causing the flowers to spring from the ground. I saw spirits in the animals as they gave birth, and hunted. I saw spirits in the insects as they flew through me. I went through the spring woods, seeing them all grow and play. None of these spirits however, were humans.

I then came across a small farm, where thousands of golden orbs drifted into the air. I didn't know if these spirits were , they just floated past, not even noticing my presence. Sometimes they would stop, and all come to a certain point and go from the air, to that point. I notice several of them going towards one point, fighting to get there. That's when I felt this addictive air, a beautiful scent calling me, filling my thirst.

I came to a young couple in the field, a man and a woman on a blanket having a picnic. I watched them from the tree, breathing in their love, breathing in their happiness. I had to stay with them. I followed them through the day, as they finished their work in the field and playfully followed them through the home. The couple was childless, but they didn't seem to be married that long. The wife started making dinner, and the man put his hands around her waist. That was when the orbs floated towards them. I got energy from it, this air surrounding them was addictive to me. I breathed it in, giving me the energy I needed to move.

The wife pressed her finger to her cheek, he kissed her there. She dropped what she was doing and turned. She kissed him, he kissed back. She put her hands around her waist, he carried her to the table. The orbs seemed to be fighting to get to the couple even squeezing between them.

The couple made love, one orb went straight to the woman causing a powerful light that centered the room. These must be spirits of the future I realized.

I left the couple, and went through the village. I passed a family eating, and notice other spirits surrounding the family. They were silhouetting them. I realized theses spirits must be spirits of the living, spirits who were once orbs, but found bodies. They are now inside them, the family was unable to see me because the spirits were trapped inside unable to see what was around them.

I watched the family eating dinner, the way the parents listen to the talk of their children created this other energy, that I also was able to breath in. It helped sustain me. I notice the table, and saw other spirits surrounding the farm family enjoying this spring meal. Every burst of laughter caused the spirits to jump catching it, every smile was a fight for the drop. They were like me, thirsty, trying to breath in the love for their own. I left, unable to get to the family.

This was confusing me, I had many questions. Why was I in such misery when finally being free from Hell. Why was the happy moments of others so addicting, why did I need to breath their glee for strength.

The next day I came across two women who were just as dark and gloomy as the spirits I saw last night. One of them was older, in her late forties wearing a long dress that went to her ankles with her long sleeves, and some fabric going down past her sleeves, at the center is a ribbon tie to her waist. Her hair was in a long braid that went to her waist, and at her head was what looked like a diadem. The diadem wrapped so tight it was digging into her skull. Beside her was another girl, a younger one that was in her teens wearing a larger dress, a dress so large it caused her to drag it every time she lifted. The girl had to be at least seventeen, too young to roam the earth. They were fascinated by something, something that was calling me. I approached the two women, being drawn to what had them tied.

I came and saw a tiny living girl between them. She was a tiny child, no more than six that was running through the field in bare feet and a dirty dress. The girl fell, she stood up letting out hurls of laughter causing these spectacles to come out the women caught each one.

"Excuse me," I yelled rushing after them. "Excuse me." I yelled and tripped due to the chain I was wearing. The woman kept playing with the girl, she ran wildly between the two, they each caught something form her run. Finally the child's mother looks over from her laundry and calls her.

The woman stop, and look over stunned as I tripped from the weight of my chain.

"Oh, my you poor thing," The older woman said racing to me as her younger companion helped me up. The two lifted me and placed me against a tree.

"If I would of known, we would of shared you with you," The girl explained as she sat after being legged from her large dress. I then watched, the light faded form these glorious woman, despite their beautiful dress, the two women became pale white almost gray. They went back into a suffering state, even those they didn't seem like it, I could tell they were suffering."

"Who were you, if you don't mind us asking?" the older woman asked as I stayed against the tree.  
"Who was I?" I asked.

"Yes, its obvious your one of the past," The girl explained. "You are no longer a person of the present, you're the person of the past."

"You must be a new spirit," The older one explained. "Being forced to travel, and can't find redemption because of your human life."

" What is your story, what is your mission?" the younger girl asked curiously. She was very young, could be no more than sixteen, with blonde curls, thin pink lips, yet at the same time she had a shattered face that caused her to appear hideous with a long dress that forced her down the way my chains dragged me down.

"Calm, Giselle," the older ghost advised. "Let us tell him who he was, and we'll tell him who we are, he is a new roamer, we'll explained."

"That may help us," Giselle said in a monotone voice with a hint of hope in it.

"I was Jacob Marley" I answered confused.

"I was Lydia, a former countess of…well, it doesn't matter anymore." She said as she looked to the side. "I'm like you, been wondering for over seven hundred years because I cared about it so much. You have a chain, I have a diadem." She pointed to her head. "I have jewels" She untied her dress showing a large necklace weighing her down. "This is my punishment. In life, all I cared about was climbing the social ladder, made a man twenty years older than me fall in love with me, he divorced his older wife and married me. I became the countess. I didn't love him. I married him for his title, violating the oldest of sacred bonds for my ambitions. I then trained my daughters to do the same thing, they all went and married men of higher rank at my couching. I wanted to be associated with the women of their families. I had many servants, who I forced to wait on me, some were children. I stole their childhood to avoid doing work, we had serfs, we stole their food for our eating. I would hit my ladies in waiting for not going by my command. I forced the servant girls to steal the dresses of my rivals and ruined them. I would wear the finest dresses, while the baby the serf family and froze to death for no blankets. I would host parties, while they starved. Then I died of old age in a comfortable bed. Now, I am doomed to wonder, remained in the cold for not taking any in."

"I am force to wear this dress," Giselle continued.

"You died so young," I stuttered.

"But I still made others suffer," Giselle went on. "My father was a doctor, I grew up in house more privileged than most. I was sent to boarding school, and I was very popular. I had all the pretty dresses, and the finest room. I had the best hair, boys would flock to me at dances. At the same time, I feared losing my popularity. A boy I liked, wanted to court my best friend. So I started a rumor she gave her virtue to a sailor for money. She never found out about this, but remained lost in why the boys didn't want her. I saw every girl as a threat. There was this other girl, she was just as rich, but not as popular as me. Maggie was her name, she kept to her books instead of flirting with boys. She never went to balls, and never wore jewelry. Her hair is faded, her eyebrows where bushy. When you had a conversation with her it would be a fascination with either the orient, and speak openly about the unfair treatment of savages in the new world. She had no friends, and I had plenty. I wrote notes from a secret admirer, and Maggie would arrive, hearing us laughing at her. I put food on the chair before she sat down, she walked around all day with a stain on the back of her dress. I would blackmail the school maid into putting paint on her brush. I would pour ink into her tea making her teeth black. Each time, people would laugh. I acted nice to Maggie, in a chartable way, but behind her back I humiliated her, just as I ruined my best friend. Maggie wasn;t alone, there were other girls who I was nasty to as well. One Sunday, I was on my way back and the carriage flipped over. I died in the wreck. Maggie went on, she became the wife of a governor, and had a family. I am forced to walk around in this dress, carrying the burdens I made other girls carry in life."

"I am still trying to figure out what I did," I answered. "Anyway to ease this burden."

The mother came back out, this time it was to do more laundry. The girl ran back out to the woman, the women stopped, and breathed in the girl's innocent, the play, the laughter, the simplicity the child had. They stepped by the girl ran up to me, and pressed her hand through the tree. She giggled uncontrollably. I breathed what came out of each giggle and became strengthen by it, allowing me to stand up with the strength to carry the chains and continue forward.

"Amazing isn't it," Lydia smiled. "After life, the youth are your strength."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"You can't produce any good feelings on your own." Giselle explained.

"This may be from being around for a while, but if you reflect you can see you produced nothing but greed, misery, anger, hatred, shame, hatred and resentment to others." Lydia said as I nodded. "Since those are the emotions you carried and passed to those in your living life, in your afterlife those are the only emotions you can produced." Lydia explained.

"Didn't you smell that joy she had picking flowers?" Giselle asked.

"Yes, it was a very beautiful scent." I answered.

"That was a joy spirit," Lydia explained.

"Joy spirit," I questioned. "Never heard such a thing."

"Well, you just came back to the Earth, dead" The dressed woman smiled. "There are many things you do not know. First you must be informed on how to get strength."

"To feel any kindness, joy, love, peace, tranquility, gratitude, serenity, pride, amusement, awe….anything, you must find living spirits to feed off of, this is our food, what gives us our strengths." Giselle continued.

"In order to find these things, you must haunt the living. If they don't give them to you, you must wander around until you find them." Lydia went on. "Now, tell us about you, what brings you up here, Jacob Marley."

"I have to redeem a friend." I answered. "On Christmas Eve, the problem is, he hates Christmas."

"You should find the Christmas Spirit then" Lydia suggested.

"The what?" I asked.

"Have you heard of having the Christmas Sprit?" the dressed woman asked.

"Yes, you mean when you are looking forward to Christmas?" I answered. Then I went back to memories of my life. I spent most of my Christmas drinking with Ebenezer, wondering how my life would have been if I had no need for my secret, or no need to keep my secret.

"Well, there are real sprits that create that life-breathing feeling among the people. One brings memories of the past, another comes each year and gives the life of the holiday, the third, well depends on how the individuals looks at it. It can be the brightest hope, are the darkest fear. " Lydia explained. "There are three spirits for everything, just like there are orbs, living and us, three spirits that create the emotion."

Then we saw a full grown man come through the field oblivious to us.

"Now look at that man" Lydia pointed as the man stopped then out of know were a young boy came through the field playing tag with several young boys out of know where. The boys had a sweet burning sound as they laughed.

"That is a memory" The dressed girl said. "The sprit you see creating that seen is called a memory spirit. Each person has a number of memories. These memories are vibrated through different spirits."

"Is one of these spirits holds Christmas Memories?" I asked.

"Yes, there is a sprit for the memory of each holiday." Giselle answered.

"Valentines, Easter, Hanukkah, Passover" Lydia started.

"New Years, April Fools, St. Patrick's, Mardagra, Halloween.." Giselle went on.

"Where can I find this Christmas Memories" I asked somehow knowing they would go on till then.

"She is often found in Attics this time of year." Lydia explained. "Look for a family that is moving. When they are packing their Christmas Ornaments and they think of a memory of Christmas, you will find her.."

"Thank you" I left quickly.

"May God be with you" The two of them yelled at the same time as I left straggly carrying my chains.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Trying to find someone how is thinking about Christmas when Spring just started is not an easy thing" Fan reminded me as I ran into her in the middle of the blue Atlantic Ocean trying to find a ship that has some old Christmas Ornaments.

"I know, " I said as I took a deep breath. "I am glad I ran into you, Do you have any ideas? I have been looking for the Christmas memory spirit for over a month."

"Yes, it has something with my got good news" Fan than smiled.

"What" I asked.

"Fred is getting married" Fan smiled.

"To who?" I asked out of curiosity with joy. "I hope it is for love."

"It is, most defiantly is, he is marring his former maid." Fan said happily. "She couldn't be his maid after they started courting. People talk you know, so she left and he still provided for her. Now they are madly in love, and getting married."

"At least he found some happiness." I said with much excitement that caused Fan to frown.

"Yes, he did. It is because of us" Fan than give me a hug. "We should be proud."

"No" I said shamefully. "You should be proud. I did not do anything for him."

"You kept our secret" Fan said as she held my hand. "That itself is a sign of great sacrifice. Now, you can at least come to the wedding."

"I would never miss it." I smiled. "it will be the first time I can be around Fred with out restraining from giving off a secret that would change the life he is so content with. So what was your idea."

Fay's eyes then snapped at me. "Her and her sister will be preparing her dowry. "

"Does she have any Christmas presents in her dowry?" I asked knowing exactly what Fan was thinking.

"She does, and most of the items I am proud to say will spark a Christmas memory." Fan explained. "The spirit might wind up paying her a visit."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fan led me to a small town house south of London, to a room that had two beautiful young women who were busy packing a large suitcase. They were both tall with dark red curls and smooth fair skin with genital facial features. One had dark brown eye, and was a bit taller than the other one with light green eyes.

"That is the one" Fan smiled at the tall one with brown eyes. "The other is her younger sister. There is a third older child but she is grown and married."

"She is beautiful" I smiled at Fan.

"Both inside and out." Fan committed. "Now that trunk right there has a present from her grandmother's last Christmas. We must get her to open it. So she would remember the last Christmas she spent with her grandmother."

"Kate, Coleen come down and get some lunch" A woman's voice yelled as Coleen and Kate ran down stairs.

"This room is such a mess" Fan pointed out as we notice the piles of dress being packed into trunks, as well as other old items being laied on a small quilt bed. "Fred has provided her well."

"We should move the trunk, she will never notice that is wasn't out before in this mess." I pointed out to Fay. We then moved the trunk to her bed so she would see it right away.

"I'll check and see" we heard Coleen's voice as she ran back up stairs.

Silently we waited, it was quit clear she was searching for something, then she notice the suitcase. Coleen then notice the suitcase, she smiled sadly and open it, then lifted up an old raged angle doll. As Coleen gazed at the doll, a young dazzling woman appeared from no where, dressed in white. She had flowing blond hair, and a silver shiny face. She wore a long glistening white dress. She stood clearer than clearer, and completely unchanging.

"Are you the spirit of Christmas memories?" I asked.

"I prefer the Ghost of Christmas past" She answered turning to me. "You look handsome. Loose the chains, it's not fashionable."

"You could loosen the dress" Fan defended me.

"I can't" She said snottily. "I am the past, I can't change. I am set in stone, you can't change anything about me."

"I think you are rather beautiful." I smiled to her trying desperity to get on her good side.

"Thank you, most people do" She said. "So why are you haunting this home."

"Our son is marring a woman here" Fan explained as I went along.

"She looks a little young to be getting married." The ghost looked at us strangely.

"Her sister" I pointed out.

"That is why she is emphasizing on her" The ghost smiled.

"That is not what brings us here" I went on. "I need your help."

"You have been given a second chance at salvation haven't you" The ghost smiled at me.

"Yes, I have" I informed her. "I have to save my friend."

"Who is this friend?" She asked.

"Ebenezer Scrooge" I answered.

"Oh, you must have been. Jacob Marley?" She asked excited.

"Yes" I answered.

"I remember you now" She then frowned. "I feel really guilty when I get memories of people dying . Normally after their love ones do not give me too much happiness. Like your friend. Ebenezer Scrooge, doesn't have happy ones even before your death."

"I know" Fan interrupted. "I share many with him. He is my brother, and if this works he will make you happier."

"What will make me happy if he was reformed and made other's happy." The ghost pointed out. "When one unhappy person is given greif, they have to give it to others. If I make him happy, that might make it a lot easier. He needs reformed.

"That is what we are trying to do." I explained. "So will you pay him a visit this Christmas Eve. I bet you have at least one pleasant memory of him."

"I am very busy at Christmas." She pointed out.

"Is it not your job to make people feel happy at Christmas by giving them memories?" Fan asked. "Like he said, I can be sure there are a couple happy Christmases."

"And wouldn't other be too busy thinking of the peasant Christmas to care for you?" I asked her.

"Oh, I really don't like him" She took a deep breath looking around herself. I could tell she was thinking of someone else. "He does not know how depended on me he is, and he is unpredictable. I do not like being so depended on him. Fine. I will visit Scrooge, since I do not have an excuse not too. He really would not like this. I will show myself to Mr. Scrooge on Christmas Eve, and then show him what he has given me."

"Promise" I asked.

"I swear on the manger of Baby Jesus, I will appear to your friend." The Ghost answered.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Who was she talking about?" I asked Fan as we continued on our way.

"The Ghost of Christmas Present" Fan answered. "They don't get along at all."

"What do you mean?" I asked Fan.

"They are always arguing. You see the past leads to the present. So she will say she is more important. Yet the past will eventually become the future, so he argues that he is more important." Fan went on. "You never want any of them in the same room. They both believe they are the one who can revel the truth."

"The Ghost of Christmas Present could help" I said. "He can show Ebenezer what is going on around him. Where can I find him?"

"I don't know" Fan answered. "The present spirits are always hard to capture, because no one pays much attention to them."

"How can we find them?" I asked.

"I don't know" Fan answered again. "We can figure it out when I get back?"

"Get back?" I asked.

"Easter" Fan looked at me sadly. "I have to return home for Easter."

"Oh" I took a deep breath. "When will you get back?"

"Sometime in June." She looked towards me sadly. "Don't worry, I am sure this time next year, you would be joining me."

"Hopefully" I added. Then Fran disappeared leaving me alone.

The next morning was Palm Sunday; I walked through the streets of a small village filled with happy faces on their way to church. The children who seemed particularly excited as they wore brightly dressed clothes. That was when I notice another spirit. She had big happy sunlight face with glistening dark red hair, and bright green eyes. She wore a pure white robe with a tiny golden crown. It had to be another spirit. I walked up to her bravely.

"Are you and Easter spirit?" I asked.

"Yes, that is why I am here. I am the ghost of Easter Present" She answered. "Who did you use to be?"

"Jacob Marley" I answered.

"A friend of a freind told me about you" She smiled. "You are trying to help your friend."

"Yes" I answered. "Do you know how to reach the ghost of Christmas Present?"

"Of course I do" She smiled. "he is normally asleep this time of the year those, he won't wake up intill a couple weeks before Christmas."

"So I can't reach him." I stared at her.

"No" She answered. "But I can."

"How" I asked.

"Our holidays are related." She explained. "Christmas leads into Easter, and Christmas can not be celebrated with out Easter. Now what was your friend's name again?"

"Ebenezer Scrooge" I answered.

"I can't find him, must not be celebrating." She sighed. "We can only see the people who are celebrating our holidays."

"He wouldn't be" I explained to her.

"Well, I guess you should come with me?" She ordered as I followed her, we went into a strange house up to an attic. She pulled out a dusty box and open it, it was filled with Christmas ornaments. "Now before I call on him. We need to agree. I should do all the talking."

"Yes, as long as he agrees to help me." I answered. The ghost then tapped on the ornaments.

The out of know where an older man appeared, he was a short man with a small brown beard and short brown hair.

"Easter," he glared at her. "I am not ready to come out yet, can't you let me rest."

"In a minuet" The Easter Ghost started. "I need to talk to you, first let me introduce to the former Jacob Marley."

"Pleasure, now don't you have work to do?" he asked her angrily.

"Its only Palm Sunday, Easter hasn't even gotten started." She went on. "Now, he is on a mission to reform."

"Good luck at that, now please put away that ornament" he started.

"Wait, wait, he needs your help. Do you know an Ebenezer Scrooge?" She asked.

"Heard of him, haven't seen him around much these past couple of years." The ghost answered. "Not since he died"

"Do you mind appearing to him?" the Easter ghost asked.

"No, I have happier people to appear to." The ghost answered.

"Fine, I am sure Christmas Past can handle it on her own, the past is always reliable." The Easter Ghost remarked.

"She is going to reform him." The ghost looked at her. "The past is incapable of reforming, they can only show what has been, and not what is going on now. Only by showing what is going on in the present people will see the real price of their actions."

"Well I guess we have to see then." The Easter Ghost remarked. "What changes someone? Thinking about the past and reviling their consouis or thinking about the present and what is going on now.."

"You know very well it is the present." The Christmas ghost answered angry.

"Jacob, here needs some proof" The Easter Ghost explained. "Show him the powers, we present ghost have."

"I will, count me being there on Christmas Eve, right after the past leaves." The Christmas ghost smiled. "Now do you mine."

"Of course" the Easter ghost then put the ornaments in the small shiny box, letting the Christmas Ghost to rest.

"Thank you" I smiled at her.

"Anytime, I suppose you are looking for the Ghost of Christmas, yet to come?" she asked.

"Yes, do you know how I can find this ghost? What does it look like?"

"Depends on the person." The ghost explained. "Like most future spirits, it does not have a gender. They change all the time. If a person in hopeful, they are rather pleasant looking, if they are not then they can be very grim. I would not want to use this spirit those. The first two should be enough, no one ever changes when they are thinking about the future, because it always seems set to them."

"What if the other two don't work?" I asked.

"I don't know, most living spirits don't think about death" the Easter spirit explained. "Anyway, I have work to do, you can go about your business. May God help you in your mission."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Jacob, you made it" Fan came running up to me in front of the church.

"Wouldn't miss it" I smiled then looked over to see her mother glaring at me behind her.

"Mrs. Scrooge." I nodded towards her.

"Jacob, you look" She paused trying to find the words. "Quit chained up these days."

"It's the latest fashion" I joked.

"How old where you when I died?" Sara asked. "You changed much."

"I was five." I answered her. "That was when I propose to your daughter."

"Yes, you have been quite influential on my children." Sara smiled. "You made cute friends. It is nice that my daughter chose to help redeem your soul."

"Mother," Fan looked over embarrassed. "Please don't bring this up."

"I won't dear, since nether your father nor _husband_ will be attending this event." Sara said snottily. "Not that he needs to." She then looked at me, reminding me of why I had lived such a bitter life.

"Enough of that, some of Kate's family will be at the wedding too. We don't want to get the wrong impression. Come on let's get in." Fan said leading her mother in and coming back to me to whisper. "I heard we have the Ghost of Christmas Present."

"Yes, how did you find that out?" I asked.

"I met the Ghost of Christmas Future, it told me." Fan answered. "Anyway, I think that should be enough. If Ebenezer sees what he has done, and what he is doing that might be enough to change him."

"Yes, hopefully" I said with every breath of my life.

"I also met The Ghost of Easter Future, it gave me an idea in case our plan doesn't work out." Fan took a breath. "It told me that we should forget the other spirits and just show the plan out truth, of what exactly is going to happen if he is not changed."

"Do think that is a good idea?" I asked.

"No" Fan shook her head. "We don't want to scar him too much."

"Absolutely right" I answered as we walked into the church.

I recognize some of the wedding guest at the ceremony. I saw the ghost of Kate's grandmother that was in Colleen's Christmas Memory, she sat with Sara along with some of her other long gone relatives. I saw some sprits bring the memories of some of the married couples sitting in the pews, along with the memories of a few widows.

The ceremony begun, Kate's younger sister Coleen was the maid of honor who walked up with one of Fred's old school mates. Then Kate walked in, wearing a simple hand sewn white dress by the side of her father. She smiled joyfully at Fred. He looked so much more grown up and happier than I had ever hoped to be in my life. I was glad to be the one here, and I was glad to create someone's happiness came out of my miserable life that I once led.

"Look over, there to that man up front." Sara whispered in my ear. That was when I notice Ebenezer Scrooge sitting their giving the couple a distasteful look. "He is not coming to the reception."

"Why not?" I asked.

"He doesn't approve of the marriage." Fan explained. "The same reason my father would not let us get married."

"The class" I remembered hatefully. It was the whole reason for my greed, to prove I was good enough to be Fan's husband.

"Yes" Sara answered forcefully. "The power some things have over people. You will make sure that is fixed."

"Of course." I answered her.

"Good, now you want to see what you have made in life." Sara asked angry. "Stand next to Fred when he introduces Kate to him."

"I will" I said concerned.

AFTER THE CERMONY

Kate and Fred stood together at the church doors greeting people as they walked by.

"Congratulations." A man with his wife and four children came out.

"Thank you" Fred smiled. "I am glad you could make it."

"We were quite surprise to receive an invitation." The wife answered.

"I was anxious to meet your family" Fred confessed. "Kate, I would like you to meet my uncle's clerk, Bob Crochet and his lovely wife, Iren." Kate shook both their hands. "Please to meet you."

"These are their children" Fred went on as I looked not believing how much they changed since I saw them last. "This beautiful lady here is, Martha." I couldn't help but laughed at the former redhead, tomboy who ran around in boy's clothes. She was now a young woman in her teenage years wearing a light green dress and blushing at the word 'beautiful' from Fred and being speechless by his handsome features.

"This strapping lad is, Peter. I heard you are at the top of your class now."

"Yes, got scholarship too." Peter answered, he could barley read when I was alive.

"And this young lady right here is Bridget." Fred introduced the former toddler who pour food on her dad's coat was now standing straight and showed extreme etiquette, being the only Crochet child to curtsy, gazing at bride and groom as if they were royalty.

"Finally, we have this little rascal, Tim." Fred introduced a little seven year old child; giving me a firm clue that he was the child Mrs. Crotchet was caring when I died. I looked at him, realizing a tiny crutch then looked down to realize the child was crippled.

"You looked rather lovely today" he committed.

"Thank you." Kate smiled astonished. "I hope you can make it to the reception."

"That is where we are headed." Bob explained. "We are going to stopped at the house and get something real quick, then head right over.' The Crochet's then left traveling together in their best clothes.

"We wondered when we'd run into you." I turned to see the Dress lady standing in front of Lydia.

"We heard you located two of the Christmas Spirits." Lydia brought up.

"How?" I asked.

"When you're dead and have nothing better to talk about news travels fast." Lydia explained. "It was after a conversion with a former empress of Japan, who heard it from the ghost of a Jewish merchant's wife."

"She is trying to find a way to tell her daughter that jewelry is useless." The dress lady explained. "In till then she has to wear tons of jewelry, at least a hundred pounds. You can't even see her hands or arms. Dreadful."

"She heard it from the Ghost of Passover Past." Lydia went on. "Who heard it from the Ghost of Easter Past, who heard it from the Ghost of the ghost of Christmas past."

"Anyway this Jewish Merchant's wife is waiting for results." The Dress lady explained. "So we came to check out how you are doing."

"So we can report it back to the Japanese Empress" Lydia explained. "You should of seen her expression when we knew who you where. By the way is it your friend the one who disapproves of the marriage."

"Yes" I answered. "That is him right there."

"I knew that" Lydia explained. "He smelled like my great granddaughter when my great-great grandson married this 'commoner' girl, he loves her deeply. Sometimes I want to smack my decadents for their snobbery." Lydia went on. "It was quite funny, she said 'your ancestors are rolling in their graves.' We did, and jumped with joy. They thought they eloped, but we were all there. He truly is the bravest of us all."

"He could care less about you." The dress lady smiled.

"Yes, even those he has given me such great joy." Lydia continued. "He will be really surprise when we start to hug him for the wonderful life he has lived; by wanting nothing to do with what we had did in our lives. I can't wait to see his wife's expression when we tell her she is the best thing that has happen to our family."

"The groom is introducing him to the bride." I said quickly, as Lydia quite down.

"Fred" Ebenezer said coldly waiting for an introduction.

"Oh, Kate, I would like you to meet my uncle, Ebenezer Scrooge." Fred said with a smile despite Ebenezer strong distaste.

"Please to finally meet you" She smiled brightly. "Fred has told me so much about you."

"I guess the same with you" he said coldly. "Glad to see Fred hires his housekeepers well." He then left, I thought we would smell Kate's hurt feelings, instead we smelled a joyful smell.

"He is exactly like you told me" Kate laughed. "The way he said that was humorous, 'Glad to see Fred hires his housekeepers well.'."

"That is what you expect from my uncle." Fred laughed, which made me realize the respected mentor has become a laughable extended relative. The couple did not take him seriously.

"Oh, yes" Lydia voice breathed behind me. "Do you smell that?"

The dress lady and I took a deep breath; a woman was passing on the street we all looked at her. She seemed so happy, and then we took a close look at a figure and could see why. She had another spirit in her; it was a sprit that was going to be her child. The joy of her thinking about that child along with the joy of the baby's hope to start it's new life blended together create the sweetest of smells. She was close to her due date, making the joyful smell even sweeter and fresher. Only those condemned would leave to follow that fresh smell and catch their happiness.

We followed her down the street, addicted to the smell. The woman was beaming when she knocked on the window of a printing press. Inside was another smell, it came from a man who looked up from his work, stopped everything to great her as she went in. It made me a little sad, but I could not leave that smell and it was instincts to breath that happiness.

"He must be the father" Lydia said happily. "You could smell his excitement and happy nervousness all at once."

"You could tell it's their first" the dress lady said taking slow deep breaths. "Their nervousness is so new and exciting."

"Guess what?" the woman smiled. "The doctor said it will be here in a few short months. Now I can't wait tell Christmas."

The moment the expecting mother spoke that word I found a beautiful bright orb standing next to them. It was so bright we could not see its face. "Are you a spirit of what's yet to come?" the dress lady asked.

"I like being called The Ghost of Christmas yet to come." The spirit answered. "They have several happy Christmases coming their way. Anyway, I am looking for someone, can you help me."

"Who are you looking for?" Lydia asked.

"The former Jacob Marley" it answered in a loud booming voice.

"He's right here" the dress lady pointed to me.

"Good, I need to talk to you." The sprits brightness dimmed and its voice became a normal tone when it pasted a teenage apprentice.

"Why does your light and voice changed?" I asked.

"The sound of my light and my voice goes with their anticipation." The spirit explained. "When someone is looking forward to Christmas, I extremely bright, and very loud like that one couple. When someone is looking forward to it as a day to relax, like this boy then it is demes and my voice is normal. When someone sees it as a day to dread, like your friend, I can be really dark. My voice can change with your spirit too, when they are happy about the future" it then came to the couple.

"Can I see your face?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Never" the spirit answered. "No one can see me, because no one can see the future."

"Why did you want to see me?" I then asked.

"I heard you need help, so here I am." The spirit answered.

"I already have help." I explained.

"What if it doesn't work?" the spirit asked. "You could show people what they have done, and what they are doing and they get nothing. It keeps continuing. How would the three of you reacted if you knew your fate when you where alive?" the spirit asked.

"I would burn my dresses" the dress lady answered. "I would have burned all my clothes."

"I would have burned down my house and become a farmer." Lydia answered. "As a matter of fact, I would abandon my 'title' and become completely nameless."

"I would of thrown my money on the street." I answered. "It's hard to believe I kept all this money, when there was a man who would always be begging for food on the way home. I use to make fun of him."

"You think that is bad, I would get up every morning with hundreds of dresses and whined to my father that I don't have anything fashionable. Then I would go to school and make fun of a girl who wore the same dress every day. I use to make her life miserable." The dress lady explained.

"You think that is making someone's life miserable." Lydia laughed. "I was a 'noble woman' which says it all. I lived in a large house where half the rooms I never went to, and there would be people living a couple yards from my home living in one room. I would say they where disgusting, when really I was the disgusting one. We thought we had control, but they did, none of them have to do this."

"You see how you could use me?" the future ghost smiled.

"Alright, I have to meet Fan." I explained to the spirit. "I want you to come at the end. If you are still dark then show him what is necessary."

"I will do so" the spirit smiled. "See at Christmas."

"Jacob" Fan's face lit up when I walked to the room. "I am glad you came, we can watch him dance."

We both smiled watching Fred danced with the woman he loved, and smiled that he was allowed to be the husband of the woman he loved. Something I had wanted so desperately in my life. "I should of done something" Fan said out of know where. "I don't know why I didn't." She put her head on my shoulder, moving my chains to make room.

"You couldn't find a voice" I said sadly. "I should of said something."

"I am glad those" She let a cry out of her throat. "That they died before I did. The last couple of months felt like such freedom, with both of them being dead. It is unfair, that I was able to go straight to heaven and you didn't"

"Look at him" I told her. "It was meant to be. Who cares about the name he carries, he is happy and that makes your life worth it all."

"Thank you" she smiled. "I hope it happens, then we will be together."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Today's the day" Fan said as we came back to earth on Christmas Eve.

"I know" I smiled as we came to meet the spirits at Ebenezer's house. It was right after he left for work.

"Past, Present, very please to meet you." Fan smiled as they came right over.

"Where is future" I asked.

"It said it will come when it's ready" the Ghost of Christmas Present answered. That was when I noticed him. He was stronger this time, taller and less tired.

"Fine, but it's still coming" I asked.

"It always does, we just never know when. The future is not as reliable as the past." She explained.

"I guess it will have to be you two then" I sighed in disappointment.

"Don't worry I can handle it" the past said giving a sharp look towards the present.

"I have powers you don't have" The present then said laughing. "Look what I brought with me." He then whistled and two disgusting looking children came down the stairs fighting.

"The girl with the messed up hair is want, and the boy with the nasty clothes is greed." The present pointed. "They are using their energy now, not in the past."

"Why are they so small?" I asked.

"Its Christmas, they are smaller at Christmas." He reminded me. "They followed you around too. If he doesn't get it by the time is up, then I will show him."

"Thank you" I smiled to the both of them as Fan leads me out.

"Stay with him the whole time" Fan warned me. "You are to never leave him. Even when he is with the spirits." She gave me a serious look. "He is my brother, and you are reasonable for his soul."

"I will make sure it goes right, I promise." I told her as she led me to the office.

"We are here" I looked up to see my old prison. "It still has my name on it."

"Yes, he never forgot you." Fan looked towards me sadly. "Even those body is just as alive as that doorknob, he remembers you."

"I will" then I came through the window, my soul went straight through Bob Crochet's body.

"It's been seven years" Bob Crochet said right after that. "Seven years since the death of Jacob Marley." My soul being around him made him cold which caused him to go to the fire.

"Mr. Crochet" I heard his voice yell. That was when I saw Ebenezer Scrooge.

"What are you doing?" he looked at bob.

"I am just getting coal for the fire, it is quite cold in here." He explained as I went over to him.

"Poke it, coal cost money" Ebenezer explained to him.

I rolled my eyes, was money really worth freezing to death. Bob Crochet obeyed and they both went about their work. They were doing some sort of book keeping, something I forgot complete how to do.

"You made it" I looked up to see Fan, with Fred beside her in a smiling face holding a wreath.

"Marry Christmas, uncle, and God save you." Fred yelled joyfully surprising Ebenezer.

"Aw, humbug" Ebenezer said looking rather annoyed stopping his work for once.

"Calling Christmas a humbug" Fred smiled trying not to laugh. "You can't mean it."

"I do mean it" Ebenezer looked insulted by Fred's laughter. "What reason do you have to be merry, what right you have to be merry. Your poor." In realty Fred was not poor at all, he was better off then Crochet who was continuing with his book keeping. Fred was actually more mid-class. Not that any of it mattered, he was happy.

"What right do you have to be miserable your rich?" Fred asked. He was a smart guy. "Anyway, Merry Christmas."

"Don't wish me a merry Christmas" Ebenezer glared at him. "What is Christmas to you anyway, a time of paying bills without money, finding yourself a year old, not an hour richer, a time for balancing your books and finding every item deputed against you."

"I would rather see Fred spending his money in happiness then saving it in misery." Fan told me as I agreed.

"That is what I am going to convince him." I informed her.

Despite Ebenezer's blasphemy it did not whip the smile from Fred's face. Ebenezer kept going. "If I had my way, every idiot who had merry Christmas on his lips would be boiled in his own pudding and have a stake of holly through his heart." I could tell Fred was trying not to laugh. "Nephew you keep Christmas in your way and I will keep Christmas in mine."

"You don't keep it" Fred explained.

"Then leave it alone" Ebenezer suggested.

"I'll still say Merry Christmas" Fred backed up.

"Is that all you do say" Ebenezer asked. "For as much good as it done for you."

"Uncle there is many good things Christmas has done for us. Many of it has made no profit." Fred went on. "Christmas is a time for good, not a time for profit. It is a kind, forgiving time, when men and woman can think of others. It never has put an extra penny in my pocket, but it has done me good and will do me good. So I still say Merry Christmas. Uncle."

Bob Crochet clapped at that speech, and then received a glare from Ebenezer causing him to go back to his work. "You said something Mr. Crochet."

"No, sir" Bob responded.

"Then you go back to your work or you will be out of your job." He said sternly.

"Don't be hard on Mr. Crochet" Fred asked of him. "It's my fault."

"Being quite the powerful speaker" Ebenezer laughed as if Fred's speech was a joke. "You should go into parliament."

"Don't get angry" Fred frowned then. "Why don't you dine with us tomorrow?"

It was hard to believe after all this fuss, Fred would still invite Scrooge to Christmas Dinner, and the boy really did have a big heart.

"Dine with you?" Ebenezer's eyebrow went up. "I'll see you dammed first" Ebenezer really did not know the power those words had, and it made me angry that he would speak that to Fred.

"But why?" Fred asked following him.

"Why did you merry" Ebenezer asked out of know where. It was hard to believe he was still on Fred's case about that.

"Because I fell in love" Fred answered slowly as if his answer made obvious sense. Fan and I knew it was not that easy of a reason.

"Because you fell in love" Ebenezer provoked. He was thinking of Fan at that moment, and why she was forced to merry.

"Because you fell in love" Ebenezer laughed. "Love, humbug."

I began to see why this task was going to be so hard.

"Oh, so you won't come to see me because I'm married" Fed asked, he was right it was a very stupid reason. "Well you never came to see me when I wasn't married." He was trying to make a point.

Ebenezer didn't even look up. "Good afternoon, nephew"

"I don't want anything from you" Fred pointed out. Ebenezer had nothing to offer anyway. "And I ask nothing of you, why we can't be friends."

"Good afternoon" Ebenezer said again giving Fred a clue that Ebenezer wanted him to leave.

"Well, I am sorry, you are so stubborn" Fred put his coat back on. "But, I came here full of Christmas Spirit, so I say once again, merry Christmas, Uncle."

"Good afternoon" Ebenezer yelled as Fred ignored him and went on. "And a happy new year."

"Good afternoon" Ebenezer yelled louder. Fred then turned to Bob Crochet. "Merry Christmas to you Mr. Crochet."

"Merry Christmas" he smiled back. Fran then called me over as we went outside for a minute. Fred was pinning a wreath on the office door, which I found just as amusing as Fred did.

"You see what I mean" Fan pointed out. "He is worse than you where."

"I see" I said as I tried to follow Fred down the street. I wanted to know more about Fred; I wanted to see where he worked, where he lived.

"Stay here" Fran hissed. "Don't worry; you will see more of Fred."

"You find my nephew amusing, Mr. Crochet." Ebenezer asked Fred while checking the book work when I got in. Who would not?

"He is a very pleasant fellow" Bob answered.

"You're another Christmas lunatic like him" Ebenezer said as if it was a new discovery.

"If you say so" Bob mumbled to himself.

"It seems you drought me" Ebenezer asked shyly. "What are you?"

"Your clerk" Bob answered.

"My 15 shilling clerk with a wife and family" Ebenezer pointed out as I became shocked that Bob had not had a raise since I died.

Then another knocked came on the door, followed by Fan again. "Guess what?"

"What" I asked. "Why are you not following Fred?"

"I had to warn you" she said. "Fred went back to his work, they were having a Christmas party and" she stopped.

"And, two men came collecting Charity" Fan explained. "Fred gives them money of course. Then"

"Then what?" I asked.

"They asked where they could find more donors," Fan answered. "He sent them here."

"Why would he them here" I asked as Fan looked at me. Fred was crossing the line a bit by sending them here. The wreath was one thing, but Fred was messing around with other people live by sending charity men to hopeless cases.

"When will they be here?" I asked as the door opened.

"Now" she answered.

"Is this the office of Scrooge and Marley" two voices came through, that had to be the men. I could smell their generosity.

"Yes, I am Mr. Scrooge" Ebenezer came up to them. "What business brings you here?"

"At this festive time of the year" one of them started. "We would like to provide provision for the poor and destitute. If you know what we mean."

Fred went back to his desk at that very moment; I could tell he was nervous as Ebenezer led him to the office. I was hoping Ebenezer would make the wise choice and say yes. Fan remained with me, trying to keep me focus when I was breathing the generosity.

"I assume you are new to the district" Ebenezer smiled.

"And eager" the other man said as he went towards Ebenezer's desk. "I take it you agree sir, that many thousands of people lack the basic necessities, and many hundreds of thousands lack ordinary comforts."

"Are there no prisons" Ebenezer asked as I felt my soul dropped at those words. Ebenezer didn't even know he was heading to one.

"Plenty of prisons sir" the man answered.

"The union work houses, are they still in operation." He asked. They where, I met the people who use to run them on my journey.

"Yes, they are" the other man answered. "I wish to say they were not." Those who started them wished the same thing.

"A few of us are trying to raise a fund, to buy the poor some meat and drink, along with some warm clothes" the other said as Ebenezer rolled his eyes.

"How much may we put you down for, Mr. Scrooge" the other one asked. He was a good business man, in the living since closing the deal right away. This is how I should have used my business sense. As a matter of fact, what these men were doing is what I should have been doing.

"Nothing" Ebenezer answered.

"You wish to remain anonymous" the other asked still hopeful.

"I wished to be left alone" he answered then explained his decision. "I don't make myself or others merry at Christmas time, besides I support those institutions, we should want the poor to make use of them. Those who are badly off must go there."

'They were more useful then he was' I thought to myself. Ebenezer was living a truly useless life.

"Many cannot go there, and many would rather die" the man explained. I was still caught up in his generosity at those words.

"They want to die, and they should do it, decrease the surface population" Ebenezer said. As a condemned spirit I hated to hear those words. When a person dies, it lowers the amount of joy, love and kindness we condemned spirits used to keep living. The last thing we would want is for the population to decrease.

"Mr. Crochet, would you show these gentlemen out" Ebenezer called as my instincts went to a panic.

"This is why I came" She held onto me tightly as they followed Bob to the door, my soul going after them. "You must restrain yourself, learn to resist" Fan held onto me with all her will power, because I was trying to follow him. She kept a tight clutch to me in till they left. Fan stayed with me in till I was calm enough not to leave.

"Are you taking the day off tomorrow" Ebenezer asked Bob.

"Its only once a year, sir" Bob explained.

"Fine, you won't get paid and you better be here the next morning" Ebenezer ordered as he left.

"I will sir" Bob smiled happily. I was glad to see Ebenezer showed some signs of generosity. We walked outside, it was already dark and Ebenezer had a long walk ahead of him. I knew at that moment it was time.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I followed Ebenezer as he left the office. I stayed by his side as he walked through the thick white snow that covered London, it was dark out. He should take a carriage, but I knew that it would cost money that he was making NOT to spend. We were getting close to his house when I heard two loud voices. "Is this the night"

I turned to see Lydia and the Dress lady standing on a street in a nearby house. "Yes," I answered. "Where have you been?"

"We were staying with that woman and her baby." Lydia explained. "She had a girl. We were living off her joy."

"The baby can see us" The dress lady smiled. "She has smiled at us a time or two, one time she even laughed."

"Why aren't you with her?" I asked.

"The family is asleep" Lydia explained. "So that is are break"

"Normally around ten o'clock or so the baby starts crying, the mother will bring her out here." The dress lady explained.

"She likes the cold, so the mother will sing her to sleep outside." Lydia explained. "When the baby is asleep and the mother is holding her, it lets out the softest, warmest sent you have ever smelled.  
I then notice Ebenezer walking up the steps. "I have to go." I explained as they nodded.

I ran in front of the door as Ebenezer searched for his keys. I flew through it, were the sprits where waiting for me. "He's here" I yelled. They jumped to their feet and cleared the area.

"We decide on a time" Past explained as she gathered her things. "I am coming at midnight, he is coming at one"

"That's fine, come back then." I said rushing them through the walls. Then I went back through the door and saw Ebenezer froze at that instant.

"Marley" he said shocked. That was when I realized he could see me, I have been with him all day, but at that moment Ebenezer could see me. "Scrooge" I said wondering if it was true. I could tell at that moment he could hear me. I quickly went back in. If he could see me, I might not need Ghost of Christmas yet to come after all.

He walked in, I went back out, and watched the house. I waited till there was a light in his bedroom before heading back inside. I clamed up the stairs, my chains slowed down my pace. He opened the door, I went into hiding. I could tell he heard me. I waited for him to change his night robes, and then I decide to appear to him this one time.

I could hear him eating when I came to the door of his bedchambers. I could tell he felt my presents. I went to the other room; I peeked through the wall a couple times as I waited for him to finish eating. As he ate, I realized there was no time to waist.

I rang the bell on the bedroom door, hoping he let the ghost of his former friend in. I then realized the doors were locked, as if that could stop me. I decide to be polite and ring the door to every lock. Ebenezer still did not let me in. That was when I deiced; I had no choice then to walk right in.

I walked right though the walls, with my chains clutching beside me. Ebenezer was standing there, close to the fireplace. "What business do you want with me?" he asked shaking. I wanted to comfort him, but being a ghost that was impossible.

"What business do you want with me?" Ebenezer asked gasping for air\.

"Much" I answered. There was much business I needed to get through with him and much was the only word I could use to describe it.

"Who are you sir?" he then asked. I then realized I was dead, and I was not in my body, he had no way of telling who I once was.

"Ask me who I was?" I said trying to explain in having no body, I am nameless; I am no longer a person.

"Who where you, then?" he shooed.

I just let out then "In life, I was your partner, Jacob Marley" I answered.

He froze, not moving, I could tell saying my former named calmed him down. "Can you sit down?" he asked.

"I can" I answered.

"Well do it then" Ebenezer suggested as he calmed down starting to approach me.

I slowly made my may to the chair he was sitting on, I looked towards the fire. I could not feel it, but I just stared at it trying to figure out what to say as Ebenezer stared at my chains, he then laughed. I looked up, giving him a disappointed look. "You don't believe in me."

"I don't" he answered. How could he not believe in me, I was standing right in front of him, he was talking right to me, I give him that cold feeling with the burnt smell.

"Why do drought your senses?" I asked him shock. I couldn't make myself any clearer.

"Because this who thing is absorbs." Ebenezer began eating again. "It has to be an upset stomach," Ebenezer looked towards the fire. "And quite out of order." He looked at me again. I had to hear his theory, "You could be a crumb of moody cheese, an under done turnip or some British beef, anything that could upset the stomach." He still shook when he said "There is more gravy then grave with you. Jacob"

That made me mad; I stood up groaning towards him and rattled my chains showing him true signs of my suffering. Showing me how hard it is for me to be around him. "What is it?" I looked at him. I could tell now he believed me.

"Why?" he then asked. "Do spirits walk the earth and why do they come to me?"

I explained it to him "It is required of every man, whom the spirit abroad should walk among his fellow men and travel far and wide. If that spirit does not go forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death." I wanted to explained how what we did not give in life, we won't have in death. How many of us can no longer produce our own joy, love and happiness so we are forced to find it ourselves. I just told him. "They are doomed to wonder through the world, they witness what they cannot share, but might have shared on earth and turned to happiness."

"Why are you shattered?" he then asked me.

I looked at myself; taking deep breath I finally admitted the reasons for my chains. "I where the chain I forged in life" I give him a cold look remembering all the things I did not do, with each selfish act, how it build on me. "I made it, linked by linked, yard by yard. " I did make this chain, and I hated it more than anything. It did not only fell on me physically but with each link was memory of a selfish act. "It is a ponderous chain."

Ebenezer just stared at me, I thought of the chain he would have if he dropped at this moment. His would be heaver then mine, "Do you know the weight and links of the chain you bare?" I asked him. He has lived longer, and made it larger "It was as heavy as these seven years ago; it seems you have labored on it since."

"Jacob" he looked around, I could tell he was looking for me. "Speak some comfort to me."

He had nothing comporting in his afterlife. "I have none to give" I pointed out. "I cannot relax, I cannot stay anywhere for very long. I can't even linger. I cannot make amends for the opportunities I missed to do good. I just have to touchier this life without remorse."

"I don't understand" Ebenezer looked at me. Does he want me to spell it out, or should I say it slower. 'This will be you.'

"What is it to understand?" he asked me.

"All your life you where a good business man?" he explained. I was far from that, I knew what he was talking about. I tried to explain better.

"That is why I am suffering" I explained. I remembered the court room scene, remembering what I had done to them in life. "The suffering I have caused others is being repaid."

"It was business, those" Ebenezer pointed out. Those where silly reasons, he sounded incredibly stupid right now. I was stupid then, it was not worth doing those things. I tried to think of the words that what we did to those people was wrong.

"Mankind was my business" I explained to him, it was what had placed me in this state. "The common good was my business."

Ebenezer laughed at that, he could not see how serious I was being. I ignored him "At this time of year is when I suffer the most. I don't know why I am able to appear to you tonight, but I have visited you many times." I remembered how many times in the last couple of months I saw him, and tried to intervene on his foolishness that he called 'business.'

He went back to ignoring me. "Listen to me" I shouted. I was overly not making progress. I was going to tell him about the two maybe three ghost that will be appearing to him. Hopefully, he would take those seriously, epically if the last one does decide to show up.

"Listen, my time on earth is nearly gone" I explained. I didn't want to tell him what would happen if it doesn't work. I could feel myself fading. "I am here to warn you, that you have a chance of explaining my terrible fate." I did too, but did not wish to go into that. I knew now why the court room said it was impossible to do this alone. "You will be haunted by three spirits."

"Is this that chances you spoken of?" Ebenezer asked me. I just explained that too him.

"It is" I answered quickly.

"Can it be some other night" he asked.

"Without their visit it is hopeless" I told him straight out. There was no way it was going to be another night. I just told him "Expect the first one when the bell tolls one."

"Can't they all come at once." He asked. They would never agree to that.

I ignored him and said "the second when the bell tolls two." Then I wondered if the future spirit would come "The last would come in its own time." It was all I could really make out. I looked over, it was Christmas Eve, and I could smell the sweet joy from other's houses. I could hear the moans my fellow ghost breathed in. I knew before I left, it was important to show Ebenezer a small glimpse of our lives.

It was ten o'clock. I heard the baby crying, I looked out to see the Dress Lady and Lydia surrounding the woman as she sung her baby to sleep. How the lingered over her, pathetically getting every last breath. I pointed to them. Ebenezer came over to look at them.

"These spirits try to bring good in human affairs" I explained as I saw Lydia pull the shawl on the woman making it tighter, and then I saw the dress lady pull a blanket over the baby's cold face, trying to keep them warm. Instead they just made them colder, by being near them. There was nothing they could do to help a human being. I had to point out to Ebenezer. "But they lost the power forever." The woman went back inside, Lydia and the dress lady fought to get in as they followed that scent. Ebenezer seemed shocked by the behavior of what use to be proper gentlewomen. "That is a curse we bare." I looked down to see parents in the window across the street, wrapping their children's presents; I looked at Ebenezer one last time. I then looked at the parents, and could no longer resist the sweet scent. He watched me along with millions of other spirits hunt for joy and happiness.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Is he waiting?" the Ghost of Christmas Past came up to me excited.

"Yes, he is up in his bed chamber right now" I explained. "He won't be able to see me this time."

"Good" she smiled. "I got a surprise for you"

"What" I asked.

"You will see when we get there" she answered as we flew up to his room. "Wait" she stopped me.

"For what" I asked.

"It's only eleven fifty nine" she answered. "We still have ten seconds." I waited with her, and then she boomed in the room. He was sleeping, honestly why would anyone sleep on the night of their redemption. The ghost came up and pulled back his curtains showing her bright self.

"Who are you" Ebenezer woke up by her brightness.

"I am the spirit whose coming was foretold" she then gave me a sharp look.

"You don't look like a ghost" His eyebrows rose.

"You don't look like a ghost." He pointed out. What did she think she was a burglar in a white gown?

"Thank you" She smiled, showing she was a professional at managing living affairs.

"May I inquire more precisely who or what you are?" he then asked me.

"I am the ghost of Christmas past" she finally introduced herself.

"Longed past?" he asked.

"No, your past" she answered. At least she was for tonight.

"What business brings you hear?" he asked. Didn't I already explain it to him?

"Your welfare" She answered, as well as mine.

"To be awakened by a ghost by one o'clock in the morning is hardly conducive to my welfare" Ebenezer pointed out. I guess he will just have to go without sleep for a night.

"Your redemption then" the Ghost of Christmas Past corrected as she approached him. She was good at communicating with the living. Of course, most memory spirits are. "Come on walk with me"

"We're we going?" He asked as she touched his hand.

"We are going to the past" she answered. Then she gives me a look. I knew what exactly she was doing at that point.

Each person has their own individual past, and it is impossible to follow another person's past. I did not realize this in till I was in my own past, and not Ebenezer's. I could not find the Ghost of Christmas Past anywhere, but I could hear her. I was standing in a snow covered field with a cabin in the middle. It was a tiny cabin, with a single candle in the window. I notice a man come out; he was wearing trousers and a large white shirt.

"Jacob" he yelled. "Get out here"

"Yes, father" I notice myself come out at the age of four.

_'Do you know where you are?'_ I heard the Ghost of Christmas Past say. Yes, I knew where I was, I was at the simple home I grew up in.

I say myself follow my father, looking towards him as if he was some sort of god. "Yes, father" I smiled.

"I have one last delivery to make, then we can have Christmas, would you like to come with me?" he asked. I was nodding with delight; he put me in a carriage as I saw a tiny woman with brown curly hair and a useful face come out as my father packed. She was dressed in a simple brown dress, with an apron. It was my mother, with only one or two dresses yet she was completely happy. I watched as she bundled me up, in a handy-down blue coat and a handmade scarf and mittens. While my father loaded the back with chopped wood, singing a Christmas carol to him. Then my mother placed a blanket over my lap as my father hitched the horse up. I smiled as my father kissed her lovingly on the cheek. In all my years both alive and dead, I have never seen a couple more loving then my mother and father.

My father then hoped in the carriage, and drove off. My mother then walked in, I knew she was going to work on repairing used toys to enforced my devote belief in Father Christmas at that time. I had to follow my father as we drove through the thick woods. I didn't notice till now, that it seemed my father was more concerned in my safety, then in the safety of the wood he used to feed us. My soul picked up a couple logs as my living self at that time remained snuggled up next to my father.

We went to a large house, the largest house I have ever seen. I watched as my young eyes gazed in awe, when we first came to the Scrooge house. "Marley" a hard voice came out. It was Mr. Scrooge; I did not see the evil in his eyes at that time. He stood just as a normal rich man did. He was wearing a blue vest suit with his hair in a quill.

"Mr. Scrooge" My father smiled happily. "We got the logs just as you ordered." He then put his cap on my head as I smiled back at my father.

"We should handle business first." Mr. Scrooge suggested as my father pulled me out. It was very dangerous leaving a child my size in the carriage alone. "Wait here, Jake, I'll be back in a minuets." Then my father disappeared. The wind blew coldly as I stood still making me pull my scarf over my ears.

"Over here" that was the first time I heard the most genital sound in the world. I looked over, and saw nothing.

"Over here" I heard her again. Then I saw a little girl with tiny red curls pinned up in bun, with innocent bright green eyes, and red rosy cheeks. She had a sweet face, one of the kindest faces in the world.

"Father, said I can't leave" I told her.

"That's alright, I'll come to you" she then skipped in the snow, letting her long green dress get wet and muddy.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her noticing her laughing at the deepness of the snow.

"Silly" the girl smiled. "You are at my house; I should ask what you are doing here?"

"I'm with my father" I answered. "I am his as stint, we are making a living."

"You look a little young to be making a living" she pointed out.

"I would not talk about making a living if I were you" I started at her offended. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Fan" the girl answered. "Fan Scrooge" she then curtsied. "Who are you?"

"Jacob Marley" I answered.

"Good, now that we know each other, we can be friends" she then threw a snow ball at me. I responded by throwing one back. We then had a small rush of throwing snow balls at each other in till I heard a sharp voice. "Fan" we turned to see Mr. Scrooge starring at us firmly. "Get inside"

Fan's happy face dropped and she ran, leaving me alone. He starred at me. "Your father is at work boy, I suggest you go help him. You better get use to labor."

I obeyed, both at of fear in Mr. Scrooge's voice, and the excitement of helping my father. I found my father in the back at the carriage unloading the wood and taking it to the house. I grabbed a log, and then fell over at its size. My father, despite the time he was under dropped the basket and lifted it from me. "You shouldn't waste your time doing this quite yet" my father smiled. He was a wise man. "I thought you were off playing with the Scrooge girl"

"She had to go inside" I explained as my father wiped the snow off the back of my jacket. "Besides I came to help you."

My father chuckled. "You can be management"

"What's that?" I asked, my soul smiled.

"You have to make sure I am doing it right" my father answered. "Follow me." I then followed my father to the kitchen at the back of the house.

"Sit it right there" the cook ordered pointing to the stove. "What's he doing here?" she then asked.

"I'm management" I answered proudly.

"Management" the maid said trying not to laugh then she notice how my face glared at the cookies. "Well, this may take awhile, as a manger, do mind taking a break for some hot coco" I looked towards my father; he nodded as my face light up.

The maid sat me down in a tiny chair, as my father left to get more wood. "Is Fan here?" I asked as I took off my mittens to warm my hands near the stove. The cook give me a sadden look "She is waiting for her father." I didn't notice then, but something was bothering her. The cook gave me some hot chocolate, I drank it happily then the butler came down.

"It is Christmas, if we keep her down here, he might forget" the maid nodded as another woman came down.

"Jacob" Fan smiled happily. "Glad to see you again."

The house staff gave us a look as she sat next to me. "I am glad to see you too."

"Beth, makes the best cookies doesn't she" Fan smiled as my father brought more wood in.

"Glad to see your being a gentleman" my father smiled as he notice me helping Fan onto a chair.

"Fan" I heard another woman come in. That was the first time I met Sara, she was with child at that time. She came up to us, happily "Fan, is this your new friend"

Fan nodded. "His name is Jacob"

Sara looked at my feet, noticing my worn out boots. "Well, you must be looking forward to a vast from Father Christmas" we nodded as my father came in again.

"One more trip and we could go home" Father smiled towards me as Sara snuck out. Fan and I continued talking about the excitement of Father Christmas when my Father and Sara Scrooge came in at the same time. Sara was carrying a pair of used, but not warned out boots.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Marley, the mother in me cannot let him go out in the snow with those things." Sara explained as she fitted them on me.

"It's alright, we don't mind" My father smiled as I got excited over the new pair of shoes, then we left.

_'I told you Ebenezer, they can't hear you' _I heard the Ghost of Christmas Past's voice. _'It's time to move on'_ I really wished I could witness Ebenezer's memories. I heard her again. _'Your, school, and its Christmas Day, it is not empty. The boy is deserted, by his friends, and his family'_

I was ten now and very deep into my text book that I received at the one-room school. My mother was boasting to her sister how I might be accepted to a university, and my father was working harder just to pay for my tuition. I heard a knock on the door, I ran to answer it. "Fan" I smiled happily letting her out of the snow.

"Jacob" she gives me a sweet hug.

"Fan, did you bring over your clothes for mending" Mother asked. She had taken up sewing, just to help pay for my school tuition.

"Yes, Mrs. Marley" Fan handed over her accuse to come here.

"I will get these sewed up for you sweetly, it will be the first thing I do after Christmas." My mother took the bag. "Jacob will be a gentleman and escort you home."

"Thank you" Fan smiled to my mother weakly. We then went out to my father's wood pile and I got my handmade slide, and we went to a small hill about a mile from both our homes. She was always behind me, with her face on my shoulder as we drove down fast. I watched as we kept reaping without a single sign of boredom. Then we flew down, I tipped the head, with my chest falling on her. We laughed at our clumsiness as I got up off of her noticing a mark on her right eye.

"Is he still" I asked about her father. She nodded, and then looked towards me. "He has been getting worse and worse since mother died" she looked towards me sadly. "He is worse on my brother, constantly blaming him."

"You should leave, come live with me" I asked.

"I would love to live with you" she said. "I love your home and your family"

"That's settled" I smiled happily. "When do you want to move in?"

"I can't" She explained.

"Why not" I demanded.

"He is sending me away" she explained. "To a convent school"

"Why?" I asked.

"To be a proper young lady" Fan pointed out. "That is what my grandmother says."

"I don't want you to leave" I said angry.

"Neither does me" She said. "But I have too, we can still be friends"

"How" I asked. "We would never see each other."

"We could write" Fan suggested. "Promise, no matter what happens; we will always find a way to contact each other."

"As long as you promise to always be my friend" I ordered her.

"That is a promise that doesn't have to be made" Fan smiled. "Because we would not have to worry about breaking it."

_'Let us see another Christmas Day'_ I heard the spirit again.

I was sitting at the frozen pond, with a pair of ice skates, waiting. I smiled seeing her in the distance. She was even more gorgeous then I imagined her when reading the letters. She had deep red hair that was pressed in a bun hidden behind a bonnet, with a cranberry red dress. We were sixteen, and none of us had courted anyone else. We where friends, at least which was what I told myself when she met me to ice skate.

"Excuse me, sir, I am wondering if you seen my friend, Jacob Marley, you look to handsome to be him." Fan said to me at first sight.

"And you look too beautiful to be Fan Scrooge, why you are becoming a lady." I pointed as she gives me a little fist on the arm. I knew she dictated the word 'lady' form her letters. We enjoyed ice skating together, showing off our tricks. Then I notice her shaking, I skated over to stop her from falling, instead I fell on her.

"The book on my head had really improved my graces" Fan laughed.

"Well, you can't improve the naturals" I said trying to get up, and then I got up, helping her up. She took off her muffle freeing her hands. Then she smiled at me, as I notice a stream of hair blowing softly over her cheek. That was when I first notice how beautiful she has gotten. The tomboy, I knew was still their but it was inside the most graceful of woman. She brushed the snow off my jacket, and then we gazed at each other for a minute. I then felt her lips come softly against mine. She pulled me down in the snow, and kissed me again. Then she stood up "Walk me home" she asked taking a deep breath. "Today, I am going to get Ebenezer."

"Of course" I answered nervously as I tried to help her stand, she instead on doing so herself. I walked her to the woods, we where silent as she took a deep breath. "Your letters keep me going," she said out of the blue.

"Yours do too" I said, it was true after every letter; I felt a breath of courage, as if I was working for something.

"It seems that my letters to you is the first thing I think of everyday" Fan went on, as if she tried not to cry.

"Why are you crying?" I asked wondering if she was feeling what I was feeling towards her.

"I hate my home" Fan cried. "More than anything, I hate coming home, I would stay in school like Ebenezer but"

"But what" I asked.

"But I wouldn't see you" she answered.

"Fan" I said firmly. "I love you, too."

Fan took a deep breath as we came to her large home, I kissed her again, this time with every single amount of energy I had in me. She kissed back, and then I heard a fearful voice. "Fan" Mr. Scrooge came out with his face red.

"Meet me, same place at sundown" she asked, I nodded.

"Get away from him" he yelled as Fan obeyed, giving me a fearful look. Mr. Scrooge looked towards me. "You are not good enough for her; you do not have the social standing to even breathe my daughter." Mr. Scrooge gave me an angered look. I left, for the first time I was ashamed of my parents, I loved them, but ashamed of our social standing. I was determined to prove myself worthy of the woman I loved.

It faded to another Christmas, we where twenty, Fan and I met in London. I was working as an apprentice at a counting house. I came to meet her on a bridge, the same bridge I would take my last breath. She looked worried "Fan" I ran to her despite the frozen rain, and hugged her gently with her soft hair touching my face. She pulled from me in fear.

"I heard the news, tell me it's not true" I asked hoping even Mr. Scrooge would not be so low.

She nodded, trying to remain strong as all the power I had sunk, taking my hope away. "It will be after new year."

"He can't do this" I said breathing with anger. "I have been working hard to prove I am worthy of being your husband, he can't take you from me now." I couldn't tell her how low I sunk just to prove my worth to her.

"The man, met my father once, played a great deal for me" she explained.

"You are not property" I yelled to her. Nothing could measure up to her. "Come with me."

"I can't" she cried. "I came to say goodbye."

"No" I yelled pulling her to me angry.

"You are not going to make yourself out to be" Mr. Scrooge's voice yelled. "With the wood cutter's son of all people."

I came up to him breathing with anger. "How could you? She is your daughter."

"I would like to point out the word, _mine_" Mr. Scrooge pointed out. "I will do what is best?"

"For her or for you" I yelled.

"That is none of your concern" Mr. Scrooge smiled as he pulled Fan away.

It fated I was order now, at least twenty-five. I had devoted my life to my business, and created many business friends in London. One of them was Mr. Fizzewink, who came to my office on Christmas Eve, as I was closing up.

"Mr. Marley, are you sure you can do this without a partner" Mr. Fizzewink asked me as he notice the new building.

"If I need a partner, I would get one." I answered as I put my books away.

"It must be hard this time of year, with both of your parents gone." Mr. Fizzewink brought up. "They would have loved to see this place."

"It was what they worked for" I answered sadly.

"They would not want you to be alone, on Christmas" Mr. Fizzewink said trying to comfort me. "They would want you to be happy."

"True" I answered. I was able to fool them with my happiness for the past couple years.

"Mr. Marley, do you have anywhere to go tonight" He brought up generously.

"No, I am sad say, I was my parent's only child" I said sitting down.

"Well now you do" Mr. Fizzewink gave me a look with happy glee. "You are coming to my place for our Christmas Party, you better come or Mrs. Fizzewink will have my head."

"Fine" I answered, putting away my second book.

"Besides" he then bent down. "I have an apprentice that would make a suitable business partner." I agreed, even those I did not have any need for a partner. I came late for the party, but I was surprised how welcome I was.

"Jacob Marley" Mrs. Fizzewink hugged me pone the first time I met her, treating me as if I was her own child. She then rushed me over and introduces me to an endless number of nieces. I kept to myself, those, which became impossible with all the dancing. I thought I moved on, because I was dancing with them and being happy. I kept dancing with a different partner at every song. Then the music softened, and I decide to join my hosts at the Christmas Eve table.

I watched myself in a living soul when I looked up to see the Ghost of Christmas Past. Finally, our paths could cross. She was pointing something out to Ebenezer when I came up to her quickly. I remembered what happen this Christmas.

"Keep pointing to him, make no note to me" I whispered. She saw my living self looking towards the younger Ebenezer Scrooge as Fizzewink bragged about him to me.

"Then you keep track of yourself" she whispered. "We have been doing a splendid job. Listen to this."

"What a marvelous man." Ebenezer pointed out. Mr. Fizzewink was marvelous; I watched as he grabbed me and forced me to have fun. Someone needed to do it.

"What's so marvelous" the ghost of Christmas Past asked. Ebenezer is admiring someone who is doing well, why is she not agreeing. "Spending all that money, wasting all that energy for what?" She was making it worse.

"No, get him to like having fun" I whispered to her as she ignored me.

"Well the happiness, he brought" Ebenezer defended his old master. "Was worth more than a thousand pounds, the money spent on the party was worth it."

She smiled back at me. "Looks like you made a breakthrough" I pointed out.

"Yes, I did" She said happy. "More than you know, I am sending you somewhere else, we know what happens."

"What?" I asked.

"You, take him as an apprentice, run into Fan, who accuses of you of taking him on just to see her." The Ghost of Christmas past talked to me as Ebenezer gazed at him with one of Fizzewink's daughters. "She is unhappy, miserable." I looked down sadly. "I am sending you to another Christmas."

I then found myself in my counting house, Ebenezer had been my apprentice for two years, and Ebenezer came in half sad, half happy. I was busy closing a family on their home to notice. "What wrong with you?" I asked him as he looked gloomy.

"The Cornel's dead" my heart leaped. The Cornel had been making Fan's life miserable, since she married him. She was worse than her father.

"And what do you think" I asked him.

"I am glad my sister doesn't have to deal with it" He looked at me. "It's over."

"Hopefully she will remarry" I smiled thinking how my dream will come true.

"Yes, she is coming by to bring me lunch today, as always." Ebenezer smiled. "I am going to meet with Belle afterwards. She has to tell me something."

"Well, hopefully you would finally set a date" I told him. If only he knew how lucky to have approval for his one true love.

"He went to meet, Belle" I heard her voice dropping everything. I came to her, and embraced her. "I heard the news, you can finally be happy."

"We can" she smiled kissing me on the cheek. "All of us"

"All of us" I looked at Belle, noticing her beaming joy breath the black dress she was wearing.

"I am with child" she smiled. "Your child"

"What" I looked at her shocked.

"I know it's yours" she explained to me. "I just know God would not let a child be conceived after one of his horrible fits."

"I agree" I smiled at her. "People will think"

"They will think it's his" Fan pointed out. "Luckily that will be the only effect he will have on his life."

"Luckily" I breathed. "It gives us excuses too."

"You, Jacob Marley" Fan smiled. "Taking in the poor widow and her child, how generous of you. We can wait till it's born."

We departed our tight hold, as Ebenezer came in sadly. I was at the Christmas of my death again. I kept our secret about Fred, for two reasons. One was to protect Fan's reputation; she was too good of a person to be tarnished. Another was for Ebenezer, he had no one, and raising Fred had made him fill the missing void. Ebenezer give him his mother maiden name, to dishonor his hatred towards the Cornel.

I came to the Christmas of my death. I was happy about it for the first time. Fred Scrooge, I was glad his happy face was the last one I saw at my death.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

All of a sudden I was back; I looked at myself realizing I was once again dead as a door knob. I could hear Ebenezer yelling behind his bed currents. "Haunt me no longer" I heard him yell very loud. I just kept hearing the ghost whisper "Truth lives, truth lives" over and over, and then I saw her again.

"I think we made a break through" The Ghost of Christmas past smiled.

"It sounds like you made it worse" I pointed out trying to remain calm. "Which ones did you show him?"

"Do you remember Belle Fizzewink" the ghost asked.

"Yes" I answered. "That one girl who broke off their courtship on Christmas Eve, what made you choose that one?"

"I had no chose" the ghost answered. "And she didn't break off the courtship, she broke off an engagement."

"What" I had never realized it.

"Yes, then I showed him her reaction after hearing about your death" The ghost went on.

"Why" I asked. "What made you think those memories would get him to like Christmas?"

"To show him why he doesn't like Christmas" the ghost answered. "He could have gotten her back."

"Why didn't you say something? When you, yourself knew the value of true love?" the ghost asked. "You should have convinced him to go back?"

"She is the one who broke it off" I pointed out.

"She wanted him to come back to her" The ghost said. "You should have said something, he was your friend, and you didn't even take note of him being unhappy."

"I was too busy focusing on" I started out.

"Your own happiness, even Fan tried to convince him to go back" the ghost pointed out to me. "It would of sounded better coming from you. That is why you couldn't be with me."

"What" I asked.

"I should have explained it before," she sighed. "A person's memory is their memory no one else's. So when I take someone inside their memory. I can only take that person, if another soul goes with me they will have to go in their own memory."

"You should have told me this before" I told her.

"So focus on business." The Ghost of Christmas Past smiled. "Tell me you didn't mind seeing your own memories."

"No" I smiled to her. "I actually enjoyed most of them."

"Your welcome." She smiled. "They are all up their you known, waiting. Fan, your parents."

"That is why I need to have Ebenezer redeemed." I explained to her.

"So you found out why he doesn't like Christmas" a booming voice came behind us. It was the Ghost of Christmas Present, coming to make his grand visit.

"Yes" the Ghost of Past answered.

"I am going to show him, why he should like Christmas" the ghost of Christmas Present smiled. "Jacob Marley, watch me in action." He then turned towards the Ghost of Christmas Past, who was striating her hair. "Remember, Flashback, truth lives" he mocked as she came at him offended.

"I don't care who redeems him, as long as he is redeemed." I said then looked towards the ghost of Christmas Present. "You have a job to do."

The ghost of Christmas Present took me back up to Ebenezer's bed chamber where I found a torch set up along with a silver plate filled with fruit, and a goblet of wine. It was lighten beautifully by a large torch. I give him a look.

"I had to do something while you where strolling down memory lane." He smiled, then the flame simmered loud and bright as he was, the ghost sat as I watched the door open. Ebenezer must have heard the flame, and came to see who lit it up. Now he looked at the ghost with a shock impression.

"Come in, come in" the ghost smiled happily. "Know me better, man"

Ebenezer looked around, astonished and shock, as if he knew it was there, but just realized it for the first time. I could tell he was confused.

"Have you never seen anything like this before?" he asked him.

"Not in this house" Ebenezer answered.

The ghost let out a happy chuckle, then introduced himself. "I am the ghost of Christmas Present, haven't you met with others of my family, my older brothers who preceded me."

"Brothers" I asked him.

"I am a new person every year" the ghost said to me silently then went back to his conversion with Ebenezer.

"No, I haven't spirit" Ebenezer answered. "Do you have many brothers?"

"More than eighteen hindered" the ghost laughed, as I now understood what he meant.

"Tremendous family to provide for" Ebenezer joked for the first time as the Ghost of Christmas Present stood up.

"Spirit" Ebenezer started. I was hoping with every breath Ebenezer would go along for once. "Take me where you wish," his responded surprised me; maybe it wasn't as hopeless as I thought. "I would like to get this over and done with." That should the Ebenezer I knew.

"Touch my robe" the spirit ordered as Ebenezer and I obeyed.

We were on a crowed street in London filled with people running around with excitement. I could smell the addictive joy as the ghost past each living soul. Then he took us to a small neighborhood of simple town houses in a London ally.

"Where are we going spirit" Ebenezer asked.

"To Mr. Crochet's house" the ghost answered. We came to a small town house; I could tell it was his because I could hear Mrs. Crochet singing Christmas Carols as she labored happily over a roasting duck. Then we heard simple choirs of her older children joining in as they helped her.

"Martha's here" I heard the older boy yell as Martha came rushing in. She was then hugged by Bridget and Peter as Martha tried to warm up.

"Smell the goose cooking, Martha" Bridget pointed out excitedly, showing she had help prepare the meal.

Mrs. Crochet came up and hugged her. "Bless my soul dear, you're late."

"I had to clean up, before leaving the work shop" Martha explained as she took off her bonnet.

"She sounds like a very hard working young woman" Ebenezer pointed out.

"She has to be" The ghost of Christmas Present pointed out.

"Never mind, as long as you are here" Mrs. Crochet said as she sat her down by the fire.

"Father's coming" Peter yelled form the window.

"Martha, hide" Bridget called as Martha obeyed.

Bob then came in, with Tim and his crutch over his shoulder, he smiled happily sitting Tim on his chair. "Merry Christmas" Bob smiled to his children as the rest of the Crochet family give back the same response. Peter then took Tim off to play with their new toys; Bob went off to meet with Iren.

"I didn't know Crochet had a crippled son." Ebenezer said stunned. How could he not know?

"Why didn't you ask?" the Ghost asked him, as Ebenezer remained speechless.

"She's not coming" Iren said calmly as the children behind Bob snickered.

"Not coming on Christmas day" Bob said shocked as Martha came out of hiding behind him. Then Martha blinded folded him surprising Bob as their snickers became louder. Bob turned to hug her, as the rest of the family found such joy in the surprise.

"Come on let's get the table ready" Iren called over as the family obeyed. I watched as they worked together, setting the table. I could not help but realize how similar Bob Crochet and his wife where so much similar to my parents growing up.

"How did Tim behave?" Iren asked.

"Better than gold" Bob answered. "He told me, he hopes people see him today, so they remember who make lame people walk."

"Not many people remember that, and you can count on it." Iren answered as she continued working in the kitchen. I agreed with her.

"I think he is getting better" Bob pointed out as Iren pulled out a small goose.

"He is growing stronger, Mother" Martha agreed as Tim came in with his cane.

"Everyone come to the table, time to eat" Iren called to the family as they give the Christmas blessing, while the Ghost of Christmas Present took Ebenezer off to the side. Bob of course carved the goose as the family clapped joyfully at the sight of the delouse meal.

"Such a small meal for a beautiful family." Ebenezer pointed out, giving me a relief that he now saw the beauty in the Crochet family.

"She is working on a low budget" the ghost of Christmas Present pointed out to him. He then looked at Tim, who seemed to be the most happiest of all the children. Then it came, through the window out of nowhere, glowing brightly next to Martha, stood the ghost of Christmas future.

"What are you doing here" I asked it, as it came to me in a normal voice.

"I thought the ghost of Christmas Present could use some help." It answered then stood next to Tim.

"Tell me spirit, will Tiny Tim live?" Ebenezer asked.

The ghost of Christmas Future stood next to Tim, and lifted his veil giving it a vision, for present to describe. "I see an empty chair by the fireplace, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. In less things come to past the child will surly die." The ghost looked at Ebenezer, I also begun to understand. His redemption would cost more then eternal wonder for his and my soul. Tim's life was now at stake to, along with the lives of who he will touch when he grows older. I could tell by Ebenezer's face he was starting to understand the real affect of his greed. This reminded me of the full court room I had, of people against me. Those where the people who lives where effected the same way Tim's will be if Ebenezer did not change.

Iren soon served desert as Ebenezer watched, enjoying the family's excitement and they sing carols at the fire place. Bob then made a toast "Merry Christmas and God bless us all"

"God bless us, everyone" Tim smiled, as Ebenezer continue to glare at him.

"Is there no chance, that child will be spared?" he asked.

"Not if the future remains unaltered." The spirit pointed out. Then gave me a look, I then remember something form that day, and I remembered what I wanted to tell Ebenezer remembering something I told him that day. I whispered in the ghost's ear. "Tell him: But so what if it happens, if he is going to die, he better do it quick and decrease the surface population." The ghost repeated, unsure but then saw Ebenezer then give him a guilty glance, I could tell we were getting through to him. The ghost pulled me as I give him more words. "Know those words. Well if you call yourself a man, bare what it counts in till you know what the surface population really is and where it is." I wanted Ebenezer know what is behind those words. I continued, letting him know that he is just a human who has done nothing in this world. "Who are you to decide what men should live and what men should die. It could be that in the sight of Heaven, you are less fit to live then _millions_ like this poor man's child. There is too much life upon the hungry brothers then the desk."

The ghost and I got interrupted, by Bob Crochet making a Christmas Toast. "A Christmas Toast, to the founder of our feast, Mr. Scrooge." I hope this would not make Ebenezer think he deserves this toast. He did look quit shock.

"Did you say Scrooge, founder of our Feast?" Iren asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes" Bob answered. "You see, my dear"

"Founder of the feast, indeed" Iren said huffing, after all that work she put into making it. "I wish I had him here, I would give him a piece of my mind to feast upon and I would hope he had a good appetite for it."

"It's Christmas" Bob reminded her.

"Yes, in which one should drink to the health of that odes, stingy, hard, unfeeling, man as Mr. Scrooge." Iren said loudly. "You know he is, Bob, and nobody knows it better than you."

"It's Christmas" Bob reminded her as Iren rolled her eyes.

"I'll drink to his health, for your sake and the days, not for his." She said as if she was making a political correction. She raised her mug and said quickly. "Long last him a merry Christmas, and a happy new year."  
"Nice gesture" Ghost of Christmas Present said taking a deep breath as the rest of the family participated in the toast.

"He will be as merry as a graveyard on a wet Sunday" Iren then muttered, causing Ebenezer to let out a laugh. Soon the family went to singing carols, giving our cue to leave.

"Come on, we have other stops to visit." The ghost smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Jacob" Fan came to hug me as we came to the next house.

"Fan" I smiled. "We are making progress."

"Good, I hope coming here would make him see the joy he is missing" Fan smiled as the four of us walked to a room filled with laughter.

"He said that Christmas was a humbug." Fred's voice came though. I was hoping Fred would switch to other funny relatives when Ebenezer came in. The crowed continued laughing as Fred went on. "He really did."

Ebenezer watched his nephew as he stood next to the fire place pouring some wine to goblets to all his friends. "I swear, the less Uncle Ebenezer knows, the more stubbornly he knows it."

"The narrow a man's mind, the bolder his statements" another man who I recognized as Fred's father-in-law pointed out while Fred placed the wine back into a bucket of ice.

"Do you think he believes it?" one of Fred's friends asked. "About Christmas a humbug."

"Oh, yes, believes it" Fred said in a serious tone.

"Then more shame on him, Fred" Kate stated as Colleen agreed behind her. I could not help but notice almost all the relatives where from Kate's family.

"Ebenezer is his only relative" Fan pointed out.

"Well, if you say so, so do I" Fred's brother-in-law chimed in.

"My uncle is a very comical old fellow, but I won't say anything on him." Fred said proudly as I saw Ebenezer's face drop. He then snuck into the dining room to help Kate, who showed off her knew earrings.

"So easy going, Fred" Kate came in following Fred. "Why won't you say anything on your uncle after he has been so hard on you?"

"Because his offenses carry their own punishments" Fred pointed out. He was a smart boy. Ebenezer still seemed to not understand.

"I have no patient with the man" Kate said proudly as she served appetizers.

"Well, Mr. Scrooge certainly has very few friends." Kate's father said trying to hush down his daughter.

"He is the most uncivil man I ever met" Kate clarified. "He never says good morning, or good evening, or merry Christmas. He always leaves a bad taste in people's eyes."

"She only met him twice" Fan laughed. "She should be proud of her crazy in-laws. " I chuckled a bit with Fan. Ebenezer stood their crossed arms, not liking his niece-in-law more.

"What the devil" Fred came in calming his wife. "Honestly, who suffers from his ill humor, only himself? By not making merry with us, I am sure he can lose the pleasant companions he can find in his own thoughts. Not even in his moldy old office, or dusty chambers." Fred placed his glass down and looked in front of Kate's whole family. "Anyway, I plan to keep the door of happiness open and he will be given the chance every year to slip in whether he likes it or not." He then looked at Kate towards the end of his speech. Telling her, this is how it is going to be. Fred then sat the punch bowl down, and help the men light the fireplace, while the woman went to get the rest of the food from the kitchen.

"I don't understand why your husband defends, Mr. Scrooge" Kate's mother asked her concerned.

"Listen to this" Fan smiled.

"It is because his mother loved Scrooge when they where children" Kate whispered as if it was some unknown secret.

"And if my mother loved someone, they must have had a good heart in them. Just as she did" Fred came in with an empty punch bowl.

"And she give that heart to you, my dear" Kate smiled towards him. "That is why I love you."

The ghost of Christmas Present looked at Fan and I, as we went back to him. "What he says is true" I told her. "Why else would you be helping us?"

"I know" Fan smiled as she walked away from Fred. "I like to think, he also this way because of you."

"No" I said. "Obviously not, look at where I am."

"He can love Kate like that because of you." Fan then said competing me. "Unconditionally and completely selflessly."

"I did not love like that," I told her.

"You did, you waited for me. Even when it was too late." Fan explained. "You sacrifice Fred, for him, even those by every right he should be mentioning the both of us."

"He will one day." I told her as we came back to the Ghost of Christmas Present.

"I sometimes forget that Fred is Fan's child" Ebenezer confessed. _'That is not the only reason to honor him' _He told me this when I was alive. I never forgot. There was no way around forgetting.

"You shouldn't" The ghost said proudly. "Come with me."

"The ghost of Christmas Future will check him after this." Fan informed me. "Do not leave him."

"I won't" I informed Fan.

"Promise" Fan held me tightly.

"Promise" I ensured her trust.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

"He is not ready" the ghost of Christmas Present pointed out to me. "And I am supposed to take him back to his bedroom."

"I don't want him going back their till he is ready." I pointed out looking at the time.

"I am supposed to be in present, not the day before" the ghost said looking at the watch.

"Isn't there a place you can go in the present that will show him how his actions effect the people on this earth?" I asked.

"At this hour, I can think of only one. It won't be pleasant" he warned me.

"We seen enough pleasantness in life" I said realizing what we must do. "Now it is time to show him what is really going on. Take him to it."

"I will be glad to" the ghost then took us to a place in London that would be whole other world to Ebenezer.

We came to a cold place, on the streets of London. A place I had ran into from time to time, forced to see as a punishment. It was a place where I found little to no joy in most of the people, a place that was in London. It was beneath a small bridge in a part of London, that very few people traveled alone. In the middle of the streets stood people lit by small dimed fires, hovering to death in worn out clothes. Could tell Ebenezer was cold; as I notice him pull his night rob tighter. I was glad he was cold, it worked. Some of the people he saw, where even colder.

"Where are we now? Surely I know this place" he asked the ghost.

"The name would mean nothing to you" the ghost pointed out. He didn't know this place ether. Not too many of these people had the Christmas Spirit, with reason. "It is a place, like many in this world." We both knew their where worse places in our world.

Ebenezer notice a frail woman standing next to a fire, wearing summer clothes with a tiny blanket wrapped around her. In front of her where two children, a girl with rags holding a potato in her hand, and a smaller boy beneath a thick quilt. They sat crowded together as a man with a ripped coat, and a torn hat came down to place wood in the fire.

"Do we have enough wood for the night?" the woman asked.

"Tonight it will last through; at least there is one thing still free in this country." The man committed as the woman bent down to straighten the wood so the fire would last longer. She then checked the two children's potatoes.

"They are cooked." The woman pointed out to them as their bare hands touched the warm potatoes.

"Where did you get these, father?" the girl asked.

"I didn't steal them if that is what you getting at" the father snapped at her.

"She didn't stay you stole them" the wife defended her.

"Well, she should have some respect" the man said trying not to cry. It seemed his pride had been hurt.

"Don't blame the girl" the wife ordered as the family had a small moment of silence. The girl then gives her mother a serious look, hoping her father did not.

"They fell off out of a crate coming in from Ireland" the mother explained to her children.

"Your father is not a thief" the man left. "Not yet at least" he then walked away shamefully.

"Why are these people at here?" Ebenezer asked. I thought it looked quite obvious they had nowhere else to go. "Woman in rags, children eating scraps, what about our institutions?" It was quite clear that Ebenezer has never been to one. I looked at the ghost who was wondering the same thing, I shook my head no.

"Have you ever been to these institutions you speak of?" the ghost asked.

"No" Ebenezer laughed. "I taxed for them, isn't that enough" No, it wasn't, he would have to give his money freely to accomplish my mission. It was clear I had one more obstacle to fulfill before Ebenezer could be completely changed.

"Really" the ghost asked him as the wife came towards her husband.

"Come back to the fire" the wife begged of him as her husband freeze.

"Look at these hands" he let out. "These are hard working hands, they done hard work, they can do hard work." I then notice a tear come from his eye. "I want to work, I want to have bread for my children. It's not right there is no work."

"We are together, that is the important thing" She then placed her chin on his shoulder.

"I love you" he looked at his wife, as he was trying to reassure her of something she already knew. "I love the children." He then looked away as if he was ashamed of what he had to say next. "Tomorrow I will take the children and go to the Parish poor house."

"No, no, no, no" the wife exclaimed. "I'd rather drown in a river then go to one of those places and be separated forever." They really wouldn't be separated forever, but to the living it seemed that way.

"It is just in till I get work" the man backed his decision.

"No" the woman said strongly. "We are family, and we stay together." The man stood in a daze as the wife wrapped her arms around him. "Come" she smiled warmly. "Come back to the fire."

Ebenezer watched, sadly as I notice the two children Ghost of Christmas Present should me earlier ran and hide under his skirt. I kept close to Ebenezer as he watched the family. I think it was finally getting through to him, I wondered if he was remembering the charity men he saw earlier that day. He watched the family, not moving but staring at them. "There are shelters, they should deal with them." He wasn't getting it. People need to run those places, and they can't be like him, leaving it to someone else. Ebenezer did not get it, he felt for them but he didn't get it. He can't be passing off these people as if they where nothing, or expecting someone else to take care of them. It was his reasonability. They are his reasonability; I explained earlier that mankind should have been my business. I knew I had to explain again. I whispered to the ghost's ear clarifying Ebenezer business, "Are they not of the human race?"

Ebenezer looked at him. "Look here, bent my robe" the ghost yelled as Ignorances and Want appeared before Ebenezer trapping him, and all of humanity along with them. They give him a glare that shock Ebenezer as the ghost ordered "Look upon these."

"What are they?" Ebenezer asked shocked.  
"They are your children" the ghost answered. "They are the children of all who walk the Earth unseen. The boy is Ignorances, the girl is Want." They where my children most of my life, I watched as Ebenezer gazed at them in fear. He should fear them; these children only had one thing.

"Beware of them" the ghost said. "For upon their brow is only one thing. Doom, they spell the down fall of you and all who deny their existence."

"Are there no refuge, no resource" Ebenezer still didn't get it. All my work for him seemed to be a waist as Ebenezer continues to glare at him. I spoke to the ghost, once again exposing his ignorance to him.

"Are there no prisons, are their no work houses?" The spirit spoke my exact words as Ebenezer let out a blink. He knew what the ghost was using his own words, knowing it was those children who caused him to speak those words.

"Cover them" he ordered. "I do not wish to see."

The ghost obeyed covering the children once more. "They are hidden" Ebenezer turned back around. "But they live, oh, they live."

The ghost energy then started to fade, I could tell Christmas was ending, he would have to leave to rest some more. "Keep him hear" I whispered to the ghost. Maybe spending the night with these people would knock some sense into him. I looked at the family, and then I notice a bright light next to the woman as she stared at the fire. Hoping her husband would have found work by next year. I went over to the spirit.

"I notice you used the children" it said to me.

"Yes" I said calmly. "We had to show him more reality than expected. Do you mine?"

"To see how far you progressed?" the ghost asked as I nodded, I led it over to Ebenezer. It didn't stay long; it became thick black darker then dark soul. It then said something to me in a low screech I could not understand. That was when I realized, that I was failing at this. The only resource is to tell him the whole truth exactly what will happen if he doesn't change. I looked toward the other spirit, who was getting ready to escort Ebenezer back to his bed chambers. I nodded at him, as he nodded back. The ghost of Christmas Future pulled a brown clock over its head to cover the ugliness Ebenezer made it to be. We had little time to waist.

It quickly pulled me over to the woman, so I could understand it. "How am I going to do this when I can't talk?"

"I know full well, by showing him everything it will make a difference" I ensured her. "Come on, do what you must."

"Well time has come for me to leave." The ghost of Christmas Future yanked.

"Leave me here?" Ebenezer crooked.

"Yes" the ghost of Christmas Present said sternly as he started to fade.

"You cannot take me back to my bed" Ebenezer begged as the ghost of Christmas Yet to come came up with me.

"It's cold the place is strange" Ebenezer pointed out as the Ghost of Christmas present yawned, laughed and disappeared, leaving Ebenezer alone under the empty bridge.

"Spirit" he yelled. "Come back"

"It's time" I told the ghost of Christmas present as it made its entrance.

"Wait" it ordered me.

"We have to talk" Ebenezer blabbed on. "About matters, give or take. Matter's I haven't given to much thought. To give and take. Come to some reasonable minds, I am a giving man." I could tell he was trying to reason, but the ghost of Christmas Future remained unchanged.

"It's time" I informed it. It went over; taking the dark form Ebenezer had placed on it.

"What have I done to be abandon like this?" he asked as the ghost went forward. Finally showing himself to Ebenezer. The ghost then came to him, its presents still showed a light for simply being a spirit, yet it still remain a dark being. It let out a screech notifying Ebenezer of its presence.

"Are you the spirit, who Jacob Marley foretold to visit me?" Ebenezer asked.

It nodded, letting out another screech.

"Then I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come" He asked it. Again, a screech followed by a nod. It was going to be more difficult.

"You will show me the shadow of things that have not happen but will happen in the time before us." Again it screeched and nodded. Then said something, trying to call Ebenezer forward to hold its cloak.

Ebenezer took a step forwarded. "Fear you, more than any spectra I've seen" It then said something else, trying to convince him to come with it, or being insulted considering Ebenezer is the reason it was so dark looking.

"Fear to bare your comfort, you will not speak to me." Ebenezer explained. It would be impossible for him to understand why it couldn't speak.

"Come" Ebenezer then said. "Time is failing fast; the night is special to me."

Ebenezer bravely followed the ghost, as I went after it.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The spirit moved in a phantom like way, slowly, and coldly as it give Ebenezer the gloomy state he placed it in. It gave Ebenezer a dreaded presence. It had no effect on me, because I was already dead, the dreadfulness only had an effect on Ebenezer. Yet, he bravely followed him. He came to the spirit, and saw only its dismal eyes looking at both of us. Showing me a clear sign it did not like taking this form.

"Do what you must?" I warned him. It nodded showing me it was worth saving Ebenezer's soul. The spirit took Ebenezer to the very heart of London. A place where the merchants traded, I knew it well in my life. It seemed the same in future, as the business men hurried up and down wasting time to fill money in their pockets. Some made use of it, but gathering in groups and socializing with each other, looking at their watches the whole time. I wished to communicate with the spirit, but I couldn't with its voice so low. I had to trust it. While Ebenezer observed one of his favorite places. The spirit seemed to be searching for a certain group, listening to their conversion. I really wished I knew what it was looking for. I found a man talking about how his daughter-in-law is with child.

"What are you looking for?" I asked as it was able to lighten up.

"I am trying to find a group of men who are talking about?" then it went salient as another man came shocked. "Did you hear the news" the man asked. The spirit disappeared, and then I saw it come to Ebenezer in its gloomy state, pulling him towards the conversion. I could tell it was struggling as he led Ebenezer to them, he seemed to not understand. Finally it just pointed at it. Ebenezer then came over to listen to the conversion.

"No, I don't know much about it either way." the man said to the future grandfather. I missed something; again, I just had to trust the spirit. "I only know he's dead."

"When did he die?" another man asked.

"Last night, I believed" the man telling the news answered.

"Why? What was the matter with him, I though he never die" the youngest of the men said in an ignorant manner. To Ebenezer it seemed ignorant, but to me it seemed natural.

"God knows" the future grandfather answered.

"What has he done with his money?" another man asked. I knew this situation well, it is now useless to the dead man, but to living it was the number one item on the Will countdown.

"I haven't heard" the messenger answered. "Left it to his company perhaps, he hasn't left it to me. That's all I know" he said it in a comical manner, a manner that made me chuckle a bit.

"It is likely to be a cheep funeral, upon my life I don't know anybody to go to it." The younger man said. It was one thing, we dead cared somewhat about. Fred attended my funeral, even those he felt no need to, but still I was glad he was there. This man had less than I did.

"Suppose we make up a party and volunteer" the grandfather suggested.

"Well I don't mind going, if lunch is provided" the messenger shrugged. "I must be fed if I make one." This man seemed to be doing better and better. "Good bye." We

We watched as speakers and listeners went on to mingle with other groups. I followed the youngest of the men, and summoned the spirit over, to the younger man, so I can at least talk to him on normal tones. "Who are they talking about?"

"I have no idea" the spirit answered. "I am trying to make it look like it's him."

"Good" I informed the spirit. "Now see his reaction" the spirit ran over, to Ebenezer, returning to it dark self.

It was very clear that Ebenezer knew the men, as he looked towards the spirit for an explanation. I continued to search as I found two other men meeting, the spirit followed my lead. "How are you?" one said and got the same response back. "Well that old scratch has got it's at last?" I heard one of the men say. "So I'm told, seasonable for Christmas time? Good morning" the two then left without another word. Ebenezer looked at the men surprised. I could tell he was wondering why the spirit was making him listen to these conversions. I was wondering the same thing myself. He then kept looking around, trying to find himself. He then saw another man, standing in his traditional place, he had the same shocked look I had, when I saw someone else living in my home.

I called the spirit over to another person, who seemed to be quite happy. "I don't think this is working"

"Me neither" the spirit said. "I know they are talking about him."

"Any way we can make that more obvious" I asked.

"One, but it might be too harsh" the spirit replied.

"Why not show him his empty house?" I asked.

"Or better yet" the spirit then ran back to Ebenezer taking him to another part of town. It was an obscure part of the town, a part where the living always locked their doors. A part Ebenezer had never stepped foot in. I could tell, he had heard of this part of London, and its stories. It was a harsh amptophere, filled with men meeting in secrecy, and woman standing on the corners half-dressed talking with drunken men in front of trashed shops and houses. We walked through the dirt allies past to a low, poorly lighten shop with a leaky roof. That had things like iron, old rags, bottles, bones, and greasy questionable was stacked on the shelves. On the floor was a pile of rusty keys, nails, chains, hinges, files, skills, weights, and all kinds of rusty irons. Setting among the merchandise by a charcoal stove made of bricks. Beside her was a gray haired old man that smoked his pipe happily among all this as a woman with a heavy bag came to his shop followed by another woman who came in behind her along with a man in a faded black suit. They all seemed startled by the sight of each other, as if they knew each other.

The older man laugh "Let the char woman allowed to be the first, let the laundress be the second, and the undertaker be the third. Bring it here to, Old Joe, be the chance if you all three haven't come here meaning it."

"You couldn't have met in a better place" Old Joe smiled. "Come in the parlor"

The first woman went up to him through her bundle on the floor. She then sat down on the stool with her elbow on her knees she shot anger look to the other two. "What odds, dept, what odds, Mrs. Delbo, every person has arrive to take care of themselves." The man mumbled then mumbled. "He always did. Who's the worse for the lost of a few things like these? Not a dead man I suppose." He then looked at her. "If he wanted to keep them after he was dead, wicked old screw, why wasn't he natural in his lifetime, if he had been, he would have had someone to look after him in his death. Instead of lying there gasping his last alone by himself." Mrs. Doublers give him a strange look. "Open up that bundle, and let me know if there is a value of it."

Yet, her friends would not allow her to do this, the man in faded back cut in front of her to show his findings. It was not much, some kind of seal; a hand carved pencil case, a pair of sleeve buttons, and a brooch that at one time belong to Fan. None of it should any great value at all. Old Joe examined each piece carefully, wrote down the sums of each piece, and then added them up. He then gives him the money, and moved on to Mrs. Delbo. She only had a few things, some sheets, and some towels, a worn out panel, and two old teaspoons that was made of silver or something that caused old Joe to smile. She then pulled out a few sugar tongs and a pair of boots. Old Joe, again, wrote down the worth of each item and played her.

Joe finally came to the last woman; he undid her bundle and to his great surprise found a large and heavy role of some dark stuff. "What do you call these?" he then gives the woman a shocked look. "Bed curtains, you don't mean to say you took them down, rings and all with him lying their" Joe stuttered looking towards the woman for an explanation.

"Don't drop the oil on these blankets" the woman then said.

"These blankets" Old Joe questioned.

"Who else's do you think?" the woman asked. "He wasn't likely to take cold without them, I dear say."

"I hope he didn't die of anything catching" Old Joe dropped the blanket scared.

"Don't be afraid" The woman explained. "I wasn't so fawned of his company; I would lie about it, even if I did."

Old Joe then pulled out a shirt. "You may look through that shirt till your eyes ask, but you won't find a hole in it, not a thread bear place, it's the best he had, and a fine one too. They would have waited it if it hadn't been for me."

"Which you call wasting it?" Old Joe asked, not really caring.

"Putting it on him, to be buried" The woman explained. That would have been a waste. "Somebody was fool enough to do it. But I took it off, again."

I looked back to see Ebenezer's face as he listen to this dialoged in horror as Old Joe wrote down the price of everything and played the woman. He looked disgusted, as Old Joe placed them in his store window.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so settle." I suggested to the ghost, as it nodded in agreeing with me.

We came to a bare, cold, bed. It was his room, yet Ebenezer didn't recognize it because of its emptiness. The ghost pointed to a bare incurrent bed that had an own body beneath his ragged sheets. That had what use to be him covered up. This was too much for him; Ebenezer only felt it, since it was too dark to see his own covered face. I could tell he was anxious to know who it was; I couldn't bear for him to have the helpless feeling of looking at his own self. Not when he was really alive. "This is too much" I told the ghost.

The ghost shined a light on it. I was glad to see Ebenezer's future body was covered; all he saw was what use to be a person. A person who's leaving was not cared for, and not mourned for. Showing absolutely no signs that there was once a life in it covered in a thick white sheet. I was hoping he would look under it, and I was hoping he would not. The spirit pointed at it. Hopefully seeing himself might bring some light. Ebenezer just glared at it, the spirit kept pointing. Ebenezer touched its head, noticing the cover was carelessly displaced and the earth was already calming it, despite being on a bed. Ebenezer noticing this, refused to touch it. He just looked at the spirit as the sound of a stray cat that broke into the house, along with rats who already moved into the available house. Making it quite clear they cared less than the living humans did.

"Spirit" Ebenezer looked up at him. "I understand you, and I would do it if I could, but" he took a deep breath. "I have not the power, spirit."

"Remember the boy, you stood beside when he was with the ghost of Christmas Present" I asked. The spirit nodded.

"Show him his future" I ordered. The spirit agreed with me, taking him to Bob Crochets home.

"Spirit, I begged" Ebenezer called him over again. "If there is any person in this town, who feels emotion caused by this man's death, showed that person to me, spirit."

The spirit opens its robe, to a woman pacing the floor. She then opens the door to her husband, both her and Bob looked depressed, as if all innocents had drained from their face. They smiled at each other, in a joyless manner, trying to put on a show for each other. They moved on to the others in a serious struggle for delight.

"Is it good or bad" the woman asked.

"Bad" the man answered

"We are quite ruined then" the woman closed her eyes.

"No, there is hope, yet, Caroline." The man then smiled.

"If he relents there is, nothing is short of a medical is happening "Caroline was taking deep breaths.

"He is passed relenting" the man spoke out. "He's dead."

The remained mild and patient, Caroline seemed relived, somehow, even thankful. She was actually joyful of his death. She seemed a bit sorry when Caroline asked. "To whom, would our dept be Trans forward too."

"To who would are dept be transferred?" Caroline asked giving the true emotion of her heart.

"I don't know" Her husband crooked. "But before that time, we should be ready with the money."He then smiled to his wife. "We may sleep tonight, with light hearts, Caroline." Ebenezer looked around to realize the only feeling given towards this man's death was happiness. I hoped he realized, that this person's abstinence, his abstinence made the world happier. This showed how this person's life was a waste, simply because he was not missed.

"Who was that boy I saw earlier?" the spirit asked as it came into the house.

"Tim Crochet" I answered. "That will affect him; show him what you showed the Ghost of Christmas Peasant."

"Good idea, he seemed to be troubled when Present described the since." The spirit then went back to Ebenezer.

"Spirit" Ebenezer muttered realizing its presence. "Let me see some tenderness contacted with the death of that dark chamber which we left now will be forever present to me."

The spirit ignored Ebenezer's request and listen to mine, as we went to poor Bob Crochet's house. The house seemed darker, as Iren sat with her children, all setting around the fire. Iren had a painful look on her face, she seemed to have lost all her innocent, and joy that she had earlier with the Ghost of Christmas Present. They were quiet, not one seemed to have a smile.

Ebenezer observed the strange silence, as he looked into the face of each Crochet. Each sat like statues, all looked at Peter who had an open book in front of him. While Iren, Bridget, and Martha sewed, from watching they move the needle. I could tell none of them were thinking about sewing. They were all in the same room, but the way they related to each other, each was silent.

Iren then let out a sigh, breaking the silence as she laid her piece on the table. "It hurts my eyes." She rose. "It makes them weak by candle light, and I wouldn't show weak eyes to your father when he comes home." She looked at the window. "For the entire world, it must be near his time, but I think he walks a little slower than he used to these few last evenings."

Ebenezer did not seem to notice, Tim's abstinence form the picture as it went silent again. I was hoping he would fine some clues, as the Ghost waited outside. Hoping he would be brighter when Ebenezer leaves the Crochet home.

"I known him walked." Iren then paused, trying to let out his name. "I had known him walk with Tiny Tim on his shoulders, very fast indeed." Iren paused as the children looked up with painful concern. "He was light to carry, and his father loved him so. He was no trouble." She then heard a knock. "And there is your father, at the door."

Iren served Bob some tea, as he walked in the door while the other children greeted their father. Bob seemed cheerful to them, speaking pleasantly to all the family. Yet, I am sure even Ebenezer notice it was not the same, real, joyful greetings there was before.

Iren finally said. "You went today, did you, Bob" she asked in a silent motion.

"Yes, my dear" Bob answered placing his cup down. "I wish you would have gone. It would have done you good to see how green the place is." She then gives him a disappointed look. "You'll see it often" Bob explained. "I promised him, we would walk there every Sunday." Bob went silent, as both Ebenezer and I notice a tear come from the man's eyes. "My little child, my little child."

Ebenezer seemed confused, he left the them, heading upstairs. I followed Ebenezer closely to see where he was going. Ebenezer went to Bob and Iren's room, there he stared at the old crutch, carefully preserved as the ghost predicted. Ebenezer took a deep breath, knowing it was true he went back down. I could not help but listen to the conversion.

"Guess who I ran into, today." Bob then said silently.

"Who?" Martha asked not seeming to care.

"Fred Scrooge." Bob answered as my soul stopped, as Ebenezer froze at the mention of that name. "He showed is unnatural kindness, as always." He was Fan's son, nothing was unnatural about his kindness, I thought to myself. I wanted, so much to see him now, older and still on the right path.

"He notices I looked a little down." Bob went on. "He inquired what had happened to distress me. Him being the pleasant gentlemen I have heard, I told him." I wanted to hear his reaction; maybe it would be deeper at this point. I also wanted to know the reaction he had to Ebenezer's death. "'I am heartily sorry for you, Mr. Crochet, and I am heartily sorry for your good wife' he said. It was as if he known how Tiny Tim had felt with us." Bob went on. "But, however, whenever, we part form one another." Bob tired to find the words. "I am sure we will never forget, poor Tiny Tim, shall we. He was the first to be parting among us."

"Never, Father" Bridget promised.

"I know my dear" Bob said as his fingers went through her hair. "And I know my dears, when we recollect how patient, and how mild he was, those entire he was just a little child. We will not quarrel among ourselves and not forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it."

"Never, Father" Bridget agreed.

"I'm very happy." Bob said. "I am very happy."

Ebenezer's face seemed to melt at the thought of Tim's death. He had grown attached to the boy at dinner, and now it seemed Tim's death was like his own had died. Ebenezer left, I ran hoping to see the spirit light up. It didn't those. Even the death of a child he had seen grown before him did not lighten the spirit's shade. I had run out of ideas, only one thing left to save Ebenezer's soul.

"Spirit" I called as it looked at me, still shock that it did not even show grayness. "Show him the truth. I am serious; show him exactly what will happen when he reaches this point." I could tell the sprit was nodding as Ebenezer spoke.

"Specter" Ebenezer called him. I stared straight at the spirit, we were done showing him other's people's reaction to death. I was determined to see his reaction to his own death. "Something informs me that our parting moment is at hand. I know it, I know not how, tell me what man that was who we saw lying dead?" I nodded to the ghost. The time had come to let the truth unfold.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The ghost decided to take Ebenezer to his office, or what use to be his office, hoping that will spark a hint. "This courts," Ebenezer as it was a new revelation. "Through which we hurry now, is where my place of occupation is, and has been for a length of time. I see the house. Let me behold what I shall be, in days to come**." **

The ghost just pointed to the office, Ebenezer looked in the window realizing that there was a different person and different future.

"Stop wasting time" I told the spirit, as Ebenezer just shown a confused looks on his face. "Take us to the churchyard."

"The ghost just nodded, as we came to the churchyard. I knew the sun was rising soon, back in the present, Christmas morning would be arriving. I then saw a grave I recognized. It was Fan, the stone was still, polished and it shined marveled as she did. She was buried next to her mother, and on the other side was a snow covered stone being warn away by dirt and rain, covered by dying weeds surrounding the stone. "Over here" I shouted as the spirit followed my instructions. The spirit pointed to it. I prayed that it was the right grave. I knew it had to be.

"Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point" Ebenezer gasped. "Answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they shadows of things that may be, only?" the ghost spirit became a bit grayer as it nodded towards him.

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Ebenezer. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me." I saw the night begun to fade as the spirit continued to point. The ghost just pointed to it forcing him to uncover stone. Ebenezer finally did so; I saw the shock in his face as the stone reviled his former name. He looked up shocked, as I notice the ghost's face get a little lighter. It was as if it finally dawned on him.

"No, spirit, no" Ebenezer yelled. I saw him grow even lighter as Ebenezer stared at the stone. "Spirit!" he cried, tight clutching at its robe, "hear me. I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this, if I am past all hope?" The ghost went darker again.

"It is not past hope" I whispered to him as the spirit's hand shook.

"Good Spirit," Ebenezer bowed to him. "Your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life."

The spirit then became even lighter, a dim light. Ebenezer then shouted. "I will honor Christmas in my heart. I will live in past, present, and future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach me. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone." I looked up; now the spirit was brighter then bright. He touched Ebenezer, as I felt a great wait lifted from me. I felt a strange feeling I have never felt in my afterlife.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Marley, Marley" I felt a firm shake. I looked up to see the ghost of Christmas Past and Present standing over me.

"Where am I?" I looked up to see myself in Ebenezer's room. "What happened?"

"Which one of us did it?" The ghost of Christmas Present asked.

"What?" I looked up at them.

"You know, helped reformed him." The Ghost of Christmas Past explained as I looked around to see the bright morning around me. It was sunrise now I had I felt happy seeing the beautiful sunrise, I then realized I was in Ebenezer's polar.

"Let's see what he says" the ghost of Christmas Future came in brighter then bright. I smiled at it. "Thank you" I whispered.

"Welcome" It said back as I continue to hear the other two arguing. "Better to stay out of it." It would know more than all of them.

I walked up the stairs feeling this lighter than life feeling, a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt as if nothing was wrong with the world, it was this new freedom. I felt light, carefree as the spirits took me upstairs. We stood beside the bedroom door, where I saw two more spirits moving in at a gaze.

"Jacob Marley" The dress lady looked at me stunned. "What happen to you?"

"Merry Christmas to you, too" I smiled at her as she still looked at me stunned.

"You smell it too" Lydia turned around and just stood there shock.

"Smell what?" I asked.

"That joy" the dress lady even went more shocked. "You can't smell it; it is the sweetest sound, sweeter then a new life, sweet as a new life."

"I don't smell it" I sniffed. I normally could smell this sweet happiness from far away. Then I notice their jaws dropped just gazing at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You look so" Lydia stuttered to find the words as the three Christmas Spirits behind me started to giggle.

"Lively" The Dress Lady finished.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Look at you" Lydia ordered. "Something is missing."

I first felt my chest. My chains where gone, they disappeared. It was as if every bad deed was swept away, I then knew this feeling, this carefree, most wonderful feeling. It was joy, I had this unconditional joy. The same kind of joy Fan has, the same kind of joy Sara has, and it could only mean one thing. All the spirits of the house ran into Ebenezer room. We looked around and saw him on his bed.

"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future! The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. "Ebenezer repeated as he came out of bed.

"Can he just say which one will strive the strongest" The Ghost of Christmas Present whispered to himself as we all stared at him. "Not, that I don't mind sharing."

"Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven and the Christmas Time are praised for this. I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!" Ebenezer then said as I smiled, along with everyone else.

"Congratulations" Lydia whispered. "You did it."

She was right, I succeeded. We succeeded. The Ghost of Christmas Future stood next to him, he was bright. Brighter than I have ever seen it before, so bright that even Ebenezer noticed. Causing him to look up.

"They aren't torn down" He looked around the bed currents. "They are not torn down, rings and all. They are here -- I am here -- the shadows of the things that would have been, may be dispelled. They will be! I know they will."

"Smell that" Lydia huffed.

"I already do" The dress lady smiled deeply. I could not.

"What do you smell?" I asked.

"Hope" Lydia answered fading, he has such hope.

"Who is reasonable" The ghost of Christmas past asked. "Does he want to be the way he once was?"

"I don't know what to do!" Ebenezer smiled laughing with such joy he almost cried then stood up and begun to dance, pasting each and every one of us. "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel; I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man."

"Oh, my he is" The dress lady cried with such joy. "It is like all three in one."

Ebenezer then let out a shout. "A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to the entire world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!"

"That's good, now which of us is reasonable?" The ghost of Christmas Present asked as the Ghost of Christmas Future laugh.

"There's the saucepan that the gruel was in!" Ebenezer shouted as if it was a new discovers, we all laughed at that. He then went though me, not feeling any form of coldness. He smiled at the door. "There's the door, by which the Ghost of Jacob Marley entered."

"Yes, and it's a good thing I did" I smiled wondering if he would be able to recognize me.

He then went thought the ghost of Christmas Present. "There is the coroner where the ghost of Christmas Present sat."

"See he is thinking of me" I smiled.

"You just went through them." The ghost of Christmas Past pointed out as Ebenezer ran through Lydia and the dress lady.

"There is the window where I saw the wondering spirits." Ebenezer looked at the bright sun.

"See Lydia, told you they were looking at us." The dress lady smiled to her companion.

Ebenezer turned around, looked around the room, he looked worried. "It's all right; it's all true, it all happened. Ha!" He still looked nervous. What was he nervous about? "I don't what day of the month it is."

"Did you all forget to introduce yourselves?" I asked the spirit. The two shook their heads, as I saw the third's light move back and forth. "I don't know how long I've been among the Spirits. " Now that explained it. He smiled again.

"I don't know anything. I'm quite a baby. Never mind. I don't care. I'd rather be a baby." He laughed again.

"You smell better then a baby." The dress lady shouted closing her eyes. "That's how much joy you have."

Ebenezer ran to the window and flung it open, and then we all saw a young boy dressed up. "What's today?"

"What" The boy raised his eyebrow.

"What's today, my fine fellow?" Ebenezer asked as the boy had a confused look on his face.

"Today?" The boy asked confused as Ebenezer smiled happily. "Why, Christmas Day" the boy answered.

"It's Christmas Day" The boy looked up. "I haven't missed it. The spirits have done it all in one night."

"We can do it a lot faster than that" The Ghost of Christmas Past smirked as everyone agreed. "They can do anything the like, of course, they can." The boy stood there looking at Ebenezer as if he was mad. I will never understand why the living underestimates the effects of our world.

"Hello, my fine fellow" Ebenezer shouted at the boy.

"Hello" the boy responded.

"Do you know the Poulterer's, in the next street but one, at the corner?" Ebenezer asked.

"I should hope I did" the boy answered. He lived in this neighborhood his whole life.

"An intelligent boy! A remarkable boy" Ebenezer committed as the boy smiled. "Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there? Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?"

"What?" The boy smirked. "The one as big as me."

"What a delightful boy! It's a pleasure to talk to him." Ebenezer smiled. I wondered if he was talking to us. "Yes, my buck."

"It's hanging there now," the boy answered.

"Is it? Go and buy it." Ebenezer said as the boy got a scared look on his face.

"Walker" The boy asked. It had to be an expansive turkey.  
"No, no, I am in earnest." Ebenezer explained. "Go and buy it, and tell them to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. " The boy nodded as Ebenezer looked at some money on the night stand. He looked up at him. "Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I'll give you half-a-crown." The boy dashed off as we stood just observing the new man that woke up this morning.

"I'll send it to Bon Crotchet's!" whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. "He shan't know who sends it. It's twice the size of Tiny Tim."

"Oh, can you imagine the joy at the house" Lydia smiled to the Dress Lady.

"That place is filled with love." I smiled to them. "You should have no problems finding joy in that house."

"We must go" The Dress Lady said clapping her hands.

"Joe Miller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob's will be!" Ebenezer smirked to himself as he searched for something to wear.

"Who's Joe Miller" The Ghost of Christmas Present asked.

"No, one" the ghost of Christmas Yet to Come answered as the poultry arrived ringing on the door bell and Ebenezer ran down to answer it.

"I shall love it, as long as I live! I scarcely ever looked at it before. It's a wonderful knocker. What an honest expression it has in its face." Ebenezer shouted to the poultry smiled with pride and then paid the boy. "Here's the Turkey. Hallo! Whoop! How are you? Merry Christmas!"

Then he looked towards the poultry "Why, it's impossible to carry that to Camden Town, you must have a cab." He then paid for the man's turkey and the cab. The man left with the turkey, followed by Lydia with the Dress Lady closed to her.

. "We have to put him to the test first." The ghost of Christmas Present informed all of us as we walked out. "Then we can be free of him."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You'll see" The Ghost of Christmas Future informed me as we walked the streets of London. He seemed to be the most joyful person in all the streets. Even more joyful then the children, we finally came to two men. The same two men who came to his office the day before, they looked at him with insult. They did not have enough to give to the poor.

"Mr. Scrooge" One of them stated curtly.

"My dear sir" Ebenezer smiled coming up to them as I saw the two ghosts folded her arms while the third's light stood still. This was the test."How do you do. I hope you succeeded yesterday. It was very kind of you. A merry Christmas to you, sir!" Ebenezer same to be ignoring the subject, did he forget, or did he not past them.

"Mr. Scrooge" The other man questioned.

"Yes, that is my name, and I fear it may not be pleasant to you. Allow me to ask your pardon. And will you have the goodness." Ebenezer smiled then whispered in his ear.

"Jacob" The ghost of Christmas Future started.

"Yes" I asked.

"How much did you leave Ebenezer" I asked.

"Everything" I answered.

"That is what he is giving them" The Ghost of Christmas Present explained.

"Looks like, your money has not been a waist" The ghost of Christmas Past smiled as I felt jubilation. My life was not a waist. "He passed the test, now you are free. You can do anything you want."

"I can" They all nodded.

It was at that moment I ran, before I entered Heaven, I needed to see one person. I had to enter with the spirit of the person who I breathed and lived for, form the time we met till this very moment.

"Fan" I shouted coming into Fred's home. He was still asleep.

"Jacob Marley" she came running up to me. "You did it."

"We did it" I smiled embarrassing her, for the first time in both of our existence, we embraced. "Look at yourself; you are more handsome than ever." We embraced again. I went to the living room, Fred was there. Giving his wife a gift.

"Look," She smiled as I watched Fred and Kate embraced.

"Will he ever know" I asked.

"Yes" Fan answered. "What does it matter, if it is in this world or the next he will know."

"So true" I realized as we heard the door knocked.

"Come on" Fan smiled pulling my arm. "We can finally go home." Then we went home.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

June of that year

It was a gorgeous summer day, and getting close to our one year anniversary. I did not even nowhere to begin to find Kate a gift. She needed something to show my love towards her, but it seemed nothing in the world could show her importance. Not all the gold in the world was good enough. Plus, I am horrible at picking gifts. Maybe it has something to do with the abstinence of a mother, which leads to my disability at gift picking. That was when it dawned on me. At my uncle's office, Bob Crochet who has been married way longer than I have, was surely know a gift that is right to please a lady.

So I got off and headed over to my uncle's home. Bob was now his partner, but was not there. Instead was my uncle helping his new employ? Uncle Ebenezer hired a widow with two children to come in and clean his office. She was working at the moment; my uncle was in talking to this one couple. They where now shaking his hand.

"Emily" I called as she jumped. "Is Mr. Crochet here?"

"He had to go help his wife." She answered. "He should be back any minuet."  
"Is that my nephew, I hear" Uncle Ebenezer came out and greeted me. He always seemed to make time now no matter how busy he was.

"Yes, I need some advice from Bob" I explained.

"Oh, he is helping his wife" Uncle Ebenezer laughed. "She is thinking it's going to be a girl, seeing visions of a girl dressed in a beautiful dress, already picked at a name. Lydia"

"And Tim" I asked.

"Couldn't be healthier, should be starting school this fall." Uncle Ebenezer explained. "Smart boy he is. What do you need advice on?"

"A gift for Kate" I answered.

"Oh" he went solemnly. "Fred, did I ever tell you about your mother had some beautiful jewelry."

"No" I answered. That would be perfect, telling her how she has become a true Scrooge.

"She did" he then got a little sad. "She would want Kate to have them. I should have given you to them at your wedding. You know what, come by to my place and I will hand them over."

"Sure" I answered a little shock. "When?"

"Tonight, your anniversary is tomorrow right"

"Yes," I answered.

Later that night

My uncle took me to an empty room in the house, it only had a single dresser that had a tiny hand mirror and a silver set of combs. I knew it was hers; I never really looked at it those. It was right across from what use to be Mr. Marley's room. I notice it was the exact same.

"I am planning to go through this house this Sumer" Uncle Ebenezer smiled. "To much junk and people who would love it."  
"I'll come by and help" I offered.

"Good, those Crochet boys are helping too. According to their father." Uncle Ebenezer laughed. "I want you to have these things too."

I open my mother's top drawer. I found an old broche that belonged to her, along with several bracelets, and necklaces. All antiques. It also had several pairs of earrings, and some hair pieces. I lifted open the tray she had placed it on, then found something rather unusual. It was an old wood oak jewelry box. Beautifully carved with roses on it. Kate would love this.

"What do we have here" Uncle Ebenezer looked at it. "Don't recall seeing it before."

"You never seen this box" I asked him.

"No" he answered as I open it. Then I an old book, it was her diary, along with several letters stuffed inside.

"I wonder who those are from." Uncle Ebenezer asked as I open the letter. It was written to her around the time she was seventeen. I read through the letter, noticing a male's handwriting. It was written with such expression, almost poetry.

"Do you recognize that hand writing" I asked.

"It looks somewhat familiar" Uncle Ebenezer answered. "Read the signature." Then we both got a shock of our life.

'_No matter What Happens, our Love will last,_

_Jacob Marley._

"Uncle" I looked at him angry. Why hasn't he told me this?

"He said he grew up in my area and met my sister that was all he told me." Uncle Ebenezer explained. "Now that I think of it, your mother kept asking me questions on why he was my partner. Your father told her to stay out of business."

I hated the thought of my father, I heard he was an awful man who bought my mother, and that is why I refuse his name. It was a great dread coming out of this union, but I was able to live life.

"You know Jacob Marley was planning on marrying your mother once you were born." Uncle Ebenezer pointed out.

"I never knew that" I said politely. "Problem took pity on us." That would be fun; he was a sad man, always sad. Now that I was reading these letters, I started to understand why he was sad.

"Oh, my" Uncle Ebenezer said as he looked at the diary. "Fred"

"Yes, uncle" I looked at him as his face turned white. "I think you need to read this last entry." As I read the last and final entry, the entry she wrote before my birth. A shock came to me, it seemed a missing piece came to my life and fitted perfectly, now making sense. "Uncle" I started slowly taking a deep breath, wondering if this was real. "I think we need to go through your old partners things."


	18. Request 1

Request 1: Fred's version of Marley's Death

It was a beautiful Christmas Eve in London, I just got out of school and was walking over to my uncle's business to have lunch with him. I was planning on spending Christmas with my friends. I refused to spend Christmas with my uncle and his strange partner, Jacob Marley. They were nothing but grumpy business men who talked about various ways to cheat people over the next year.

I was walking under a bridge when I felt a handkerchief landing on my shoulder, I looked up to see none other than the man I was hoping to miss when I agreed to meet my uncle at the pub, Jacob Marley. The very man who taught my uncle how to do business, and how to do business dirty. Ebenezer told me I had to be polite to him, I honestly had no respect for the man in anyway, shape or form. I knew he didn't pay a single fair wage, and used cheep labor. I confronted him about this once, he told me when I'm in business I'll understand that's why I am going into law. I decide to throw it back up to him and be the gentlemen he pretended to be.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Marley, I'm on my way to see my uncle. What are you doing up there?" I yelled as he just gazed at me.

He give me one of those strange looks. He had this annoying strange look about him. It was a sad, yet happy look that he would give me just about every time I spoke to him. He gave it to me when I accomplished something, when he tried to give me advice. It was this strange and annoying face that haunted me for hours after our departing.

He was a strange fellow, I notice that over the years, too. He was really close to my uncle, than my uncle realized. You had to be close to be so protective of your friend's nephew. There was this one time I thought of joining the army, he was strongly aginst it he acted as if he was scared for me. I also notice anytime I did something dangerous and stupid near the office building he would stop business and try to save me. I also notice he was a nosy man as well, he was always asking about my school, my friends wanting to know every detail of my life. This made him even more annoying.

I was there watching him on the bridge, as if he was about to say something when my uncle came. That was when we both saw Marley collapse. We ran up to him, something was seriously wrong. We both kneeled beside him, I saw my uncle become frantic as Marley stared at me. I felt his cold hands touch my face. He needed a doctor, I could tell he was seriously sick. I left right away as I heard my uncle yelling. "Fred get back here." He yelled as if he was about to cry. "Its too late." I kneeled beside his dead cold body as people crowded around. I picked up his hand and looked at my uncle.  
"I'm sorry," I put my hand on my uncle's shoulder, as he closed the eyes of his dead friend. It was strange, I felt like a part of me had died with him the part that wanted to desperately know the secrets this man had left behind.


	19. Beta Wanted

Beta wanted:

Hello,

I wrote this story before I knew how beta's work, and if anyone wants to beta this story for me. They are free to do so, just PM me.

Thank you,

Leah


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